Hi,

I'm not a nurse but I've been a melanoma patient for many years so I'm replying whilst you wait for the nurses to come back on Monday.

Teledermy has become a popular triage system for unusual moles/lesions. It was started to try and ease the backlog of dermatology referrals after Covid & it's become a very useful tool because it can weed out moles/lesions that are absolutely fine.

The mole/lesion is looked at with a dermascope and photos are taken & forwarded to a dermatologist. It shows any change in cell structure that may mean the mole/lesion is possibly precancerous or malignant. If the cell structure is normal, the patient will receive a letter from dermatology saying that it was benign. If the cells are changing in the photo, the patient will be sent an appointment for a face to face so that the dermatologist can take a further look with a dermascope and decide if a biopsy is necessary.

I know this doesn't help you with your anxiety but most dermatology departments check the photos & contact the patient within a few days rather than a few weeks - I think they are just covering themselves in case of any delays. Please note though that, should dermatology want to see you after looking at the photos, and they decide you need it removing for biopsy, there is a wait of some weeks for the results (this is for all patients, not just those who have gone down the teledermy route). 

Try to find ways to distract yourself during the wait. You are now in the system so will be seen asap and, if it should be malignant, it will hopefully have been found early & can be treated successfully with surgery alone. Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

Thank you so much for replying!! It has really helped. I will let you know as soon as I hear the good news that it is nothing to worry about! 

stay well and thank you for your time and kind words x

Hi there and thanks for posting

I am sorry to hear about this mark you have on your back and the concern it is causing you.

You will see a dermatologist but just need to go through the system in the right order. This usually means a triage system where each case is assessed and then prioritised in urgency.

From what you say you probably will be seen quite quickly but for now need to sit tight and wait to be called.

Try and avoid googling any more as the internet can't diagnose you and it is only further tests that can say exactly what this might be.

I hope you know more soon and that everything turns out okay for you.

Take care

Naomi