Hi,

I'm not a nurse but I've been a melanoma patient for many years. I wanted to answer your question for the moment as the nurses won't be back until tomorrow.

A simple answer to your question is - YES - you should have been given the contact details of the nurse specialist so that you could ask them any questions or voice any concerns in between appointments. It sounds like the dermatology department at your hospital aren't being as communicative as they should be and you have been let down. 

What Stage are you? I assume you are Stage 0 (insitu) or 1a as you haven't mentioned having had a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (offered to patients whose melanoma is deeper than 1mm). I'm wondering if this consultant is hurried & unhelpful to early stage patients or to everyone - he should treat all patients the same & take time to explain everything properly.

When you receive your results perhaps suggest that you see a different consultant at your next check up. If you feel you want to take it further, consider contacting PALS (Patient Liaison) and voice your concerns. 

I hope you aren't waiting too much longer for your results & they bring good news. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009) 

1. Hi Angie, thank you for your response.  I am stage 1.  I was referred to plastic by dermatology for the initial biopsy and the wide local excision because my lesion was on my ear.  I haven’t seen my dermatologist since my first appointment at the end of Jan 25. Everything has been done by plastics.  Hence probably why he was rude.  Not used to cancer patients.  I’m back with my dermatologist on Tuesday so I will ask her then.  Sarah

Hi Sarah,

Yes, some plastic surgeons can be rather curt & uncommunicative. Hopefully the dermatologist should be more forthcoming! Angie

Hi Fraggle

Im sorry that you have been diagnosed with melanoma and your experience of NHS has not been the best. Often due to extreme pressures of workload a consultant will often phone, it lets you get your results earlier than waiting weeks for a face to face appointment and saves time for you not having to make a journey to hospital and the consultant with an impossible work schedule. My diagnosis arrived by letter! You definitely should have been appointed a nurse to contact and give you information and letting you know the support available. Many really good consultants have poor bedside manner and can be quite short and to the point this can sometimes be mistaken for rudeness. I hope through all this what really matters is that your surgery and any subsequent treatment is a success. Wishing you all the best in the coming months.

Ed