Worried 5 year old has melanoma

[darkside4k]

About a week and a half ago, my wife noticed a raised red, irritated bump on my daughter's scalp. We took her to the doctor who thought it may be an infected scratch or hemangioma. She gave us antibiotics and cream.

A week and a half later the spot is still there and the same. We go back to daughter who tries to drain it and not a lot comes out. She says if it is not much better in a week she will refer us to a dermatologist. She thought it maybe was a cyst or something.

So here we are. It is apparently not an infected bite otherwise lots of pus would drain out of it. Most of childhood melanoma are not pigmented and have a pink color, like my daughter's spot does.

I see very few possibilities for what this could be other than melanoma to be honest, and it terrifies me. My precious daughter going through chemotherapy at 5 for melanoma. I literally don't know how to even sleep at a time like this.

Not only could it be melanoma, diagnosis is being delayed by incompetent doctors who are just running us around "watching it" for a weeks on end.

[walkerbull]

I think it is a bit of a stretch saying they are delaying your assumed "diagnosis"

[Melonpony]

I know it is terrifying when dealing with our babies' health. I would be reacting the same way. My son has a red raised blotch on the back of his neck that he was born with, and it used to scare me. He's 4 now, and it's never changed shape or anything, his Drs aren't worried. Plus he was born w it. Your daughter developed this when?
I honestly would try hard to trust her doctor. Her pediatrician has likely seen melanoma, at the VERY LEAST has studied it extensively. Her Dr wouldn't fool around. If she suspected melanoma, I am sure it would be an emergency biopsy. As one parent to another, I wish you some strength to trust that this is nothing catastrophic.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[darkside4k]

She developed it a few weeks ago. I'm so depressed.

[axolotl]

Darkside, just remember your previous "skill" at diagnosing melanoma on your hand. You have ample evidence you have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to melanomas, and jump to conclusions over nothing in this matter.

So while you were right to get it checked out if you're worried, the chance of you being right in your diagnosis over a doctor is, shall we say, very remote. The doctors don't seem to be entertaining that possibility, so neither should you.

[darkside4k]

They aren't concerned because they aren't used to seeing it. It is very rare. A read in one study being diagnosed with melanoma under 15 years of age is around 1 in a million.

[axolotl]

They aren't concerned because they aren't used to seeing it. It is very rare. A read in one study being diagnosed with melanoma under 15 years of age is around 1 in a million.

Yet again you're an expert on melanoma who knows better than doctors because you know how to use Google

How's the hand?

A read in one study being diagnosed with melanoma under 15 years of age is around 1 in a million.

So you admit the chance of this being anything sinister is around 1 in a million? And that doesn't give you any comfort?

[siwz991]

She developed it a few weeks ago. I'm so depressed.

I'm not specialist but I know someone who had this (38 y.) but dont you think that few weeks is too fast to be melanoma? In case of my friend it took 2-3 years and there was no doubt at all. I heard that 2-3 y and longer is quite a norm for it. Wish you all good and hope this will be resolved soon!

[MyNameIsTerry]

They aren't concerned because they aren't used to seeing it. It is very rare. A read in one study being diagnosed with melanoma under 15 years of age is around 1 in a million.

I get that more complex & rare things may need certain training or experience but if you mean something that looks like a melanoma but just on someone too young to normally see it then I would expect them to follow it up regardless.

Here is an example. Quite some years ago my mum started having a strange sort of ulcer hole thing appear on her arm which was itchy. Her GP tried to treat it to no avail. He was stumped. He referred her to a dermatologist which means waiting months on the NHS.

Within minutes of the assessment she had an excited dermatologist telling her she had a rare find, a common infestation seen in tropical countries but pretty unusual in the UK. I think it was a 1 in 10,000 case.

It was an parasite found in tropical water that burrows under the skin to lay it's eggs. She deduced it was because we kept tropical fish but said it was very unusual.

Her GP had no clue BUT he still saw something which didn't look right and followed it up. He wasn't put off by the fact it was rare outside of some bloke paddling up the Amazon.

Doctors don't just and walk away when they see something that shouldn't be happening.

[darkside4k]

So you admit the chance of this being anything sinister is around 1 in a million? And that doesn't give you any comfort?

No, it has to happen to someone.