acral melanoma fear

[Dimdim101]

I've had 2 freckles on the sole of my foot for as long as I can remember (probably born with them) and they are the same as always, but last year I had a new one appear just above the others. It looks very similar, but is just a bit smaller and looks deeper I guess - this is also something that worries me a bit, although I think it's just because the skin in that area of the foot is very thick so it appears to be under many layers of skin. Anyway, it's been there for about a year (if not more) with no changes, and i was worrying it could be acral melanoma. However, this cancer is very aggressive, so I assume even if it was in the early stages, after a year it would at least somewhat change, even slightly. I'm obviously prone to these freckles on the sole of the foot so it may be normal for me, and I've seen photos of acral melanoma and they they are all quite dark in colour, whereas the new freckle is a much lighter shade of brown. It is also quite rare so even more unlikely.
The new one also appeared after summer - lots of time at the beach/pool, and I guess when you are lying down at the beach the soles of your feet are exposed, so it could just be that?
If anyone has seen what acral melanoma looks like, does this sound like it?

[RadioGaGa]

From my melanoma fear days I was always told that the 'ugly duckling' sign catches more melanomas than the ABCDE criteria.

Basically if you have a mole which is SIGNIFICANTLY different and has no similarities to anything anywhere else on your body, you need to get it checked.

Your new mole sounds as if it's very similar to an existing mole. Therefore I woukdnt worry.

Of course only someone examining you in real life can say for sure

Good luck

[bin tenn]

From my melanoma fear days I was always told that the 'ugly duckling' sign catches more melanomas than the ABCDE criteria.

Basically if you have a mole which is SIGNIFICANTLY different and has no similarities to anything anywhere else on your body, you need to get it checked.

Your new mole sounds as if it's very similar to an existing mole. Therefore I woukdnt worry.

Of course only someone examining you in real life can say for sure

Good luck

I agree completely. That's what I recall from my melanoma fears and compulsive searching as well. "Abnormal" moles alone are usually not an indicator; change and the "ugly duckling" are.

[Dimdim101]

Thank you Yes, I can imagine that if I went to the dermatologist he would just say to keep an eye on it and I'd just need to monitor it anyway.

Does it seem like an issue because it appears 'deeper' than the others, or is that just because its in a part of the foot with much thicker skin (near the toes)?

Since it's a freckle it's under the skin, not raised and looks completely harmless - the only issue I have is the location of it but I forget that during summer and lying down the soles of the feet are exposed to the sun and like any part of the body freckles/moles can appear.

[Dimdim101]

So I have a few moles at the bottom of my foot that I like to keep an eye on. However, today when I looked, I noticed something on the OTHER foot. It looked like some small green dot, under the skin of the sole of the foot. It was like there was something stuck there. So I used a needle and I broke through the top layer of the skin, and I ended up getting it out - it turns out it was reddish brown in colour and the texture was kind of like a ‘crust’ when you cut yourself (but since it was under the top layer of skin and joined in a sphere type of shape I’m confused what it was). It didn’t help that when I finally got it out it had pretty much broken up into a crumbly texture.

Is this what acral melanoma is like? I looked at pictures online, even of early stages, and they all seem to be like moles but very dark (almost black), and it’s as if they are part of the skin (so they aren’t really ‘under’ it and so they can’t really be dug out like I did... it seems more like you have to cut a whole chunk of skin out that the melanoma covers to really get rid of it).

I’m freaking out! Does it seem like it could be acral melanoma?

[NancyW]

I wonder if you stepped on something and got a little splinter in your foot.

You might not have even realized it.

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

[Dimdim101]

I wonder if you stepped on something and got a little splinter in your foot.

You might not have even realized it.

Yeah that’s what I’m hoping! The only thing is that when it came out it didn’t really look like a ‘foreign body’ type of thing eg glass, splinter. It looked more like something my body had produced (but this could also be in reaction to stepping on something, no clue). I guess if it was sinister it would ‘grow back’ so I have to play the waiting game now :/

[Dimdim101]

So does this sound worrying? I feel like you can’t dig out a mole like that but I feel so scared

[Sparky16]

Sure doesn't sound like a mole at all. More like some kind of foreign body or like a wart. Sometimes warts bleed a little under the skin.