Hi

I am not a nurse, however I have had itching and bleeding moles removed on 3 separate occasions, and none have turned out to be cancerous.  You should always get any moles that are causing issues checked, however I just wanted to reassure you whilst you are waiting for the nurses to reply, that in most cases there is no reason to worry.

Good luck with your appointment, always need to get them checked though!

Hello there, thanks for posting.

As annie123 mentions it is always best to get any moles that have changed or have suddenly started to bleed and become itchy checked out. It doesn't mean the symptoms are caused by a melanoma, however it is always best to be safe. So you are doing the right thing getting it checked by a dermatologist. Moles can become infected for a number of reasons such as scratching, an irritant or from bacteria.

Unfortunately until you see the dermatologist, no one can say what the chances are of this being a melanoma. This is hard because there is some uncertainty for you and it is causing you to worry. I know it is difficult but remember the information you are finding on the internet is general. It is not talking about your individual situation.

I hope this helps. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Take care

Jemma

Hi

I am in a similar situation to you. I find it infuriating that unless it looks like the most clicked images on Google of malignant melanoma the GPS say it’s not one. My dad was told by his GP his wasn’t and to go on his 10 day business trip before she bothers to refer him. I intuitively knew it was even though he’s not necessarily the skin type and not an I, I set my alarm to book him another appointment as soon as they opened when he got back. Luckily she agreed it had got bigger and although she didn’t think it was cancer it was worth a dermatologist having a look so referred him. The day the dermatologist saw it he booked him a same day appointment in the theatre as a matter of emergency to get it removed before it spread to lymph’s, and was all just in time! 
I don’t have private healthcare like my Dad did, I pray for me and all the others who have cancer to please see someone who can make the right judgement and doesn’t need it to be 100% Google certified as I don’t know many who are, why don’t they realise this.

id be vigilant in getting it checked if I were you, don’t rely on their intuition until it’s confirmed what it is for certain. 

I am getting it checked by a dermatologist today. However, I did Google and find something called "Meyerson Nevus" that at least explains what may be going on for me. In this "unusual" phenomenon, a benign mole develops a ring of eczema rash around it which can last for weeks. Apparently they do not know why it occurs, but in the vast majority of the cases, Meyerson's phenomenon is not an indication of malignancy. It happens on benign moles. 

I will follow-up here after I see the dermatologist.

I am so glad your dad got checked in time! I wish we had more dermatologists so that they could see people more quickly.

I just wanted to say I met with the dermatologist. It felt silly in retrospect. This was an ingrown hair under a mole causing the reaction. Not sinister.

Don't feel like it was silly, you had no way of knowing what was causing the reaction, it is ALWAYS best to get dodgy moles checked out.

At least you can now relax, without the worry hanging over you.

Regards

Annie

So glad it turned out to be OK. Don't feel silly about it - without seeing the dermatologist you are not to know if it's serious or not. They prefer to see you asap as it's easier to treat early doors than if it's left too long. Thank you for updating us as it helps others to know that not every referral means it's bad news.

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)