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Mole biopsy

BaileyChester24
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Hi I had a mole biopsy 3 weeks ago now , my doc referred me to a dermatologist who said he thought it was just an atypical mole but  because I thought it had grown . And got darker he asked for a biopsy , now the scar is 3 times bigger than the mole is this normal ? More worried at how much of my skin has been taken ?? 

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    Hi BaileyChester24,

    I'm not a nurse but I've been a melanoma patient for many years so I wanted to reply to your question whilst you await the nurses returning on Monday.

    Yes, the scar is always larger than the mole they've removed so that they can ensure they don't leave any of it behind . They remove a margin of tissue around & under the mole - it's usually 2mm margin. Patients are always shocked at the size of the scar & it should really be part of the discussion at the pre-op appointment or in the printed literature given before surgery.

    The wound will settle down & the scar will fade, however, if it's found to be melanoma & more surgery required (wide local excision), a wider margin of tissue will be removed so the scar will be larger. Again, it does settle down & fade in time. I've had 7 mole removals over the years (6 were benign) and you can't see the scars unless I point them out.

    Good luck with your results. Please let us know how you get on,

    Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

  • Hi there and thanks for the post

    It is a worrying time having tests carried out and hopefully you will know more very soon.

    As Angie T has helpfully said to you already it isn't unusual to be left with a larger than the mole scar. This ensures that all the mole has been successfully removed and can be checked out in the lab for abnormalities.

    Try not to worry, hopefully you will get the results soon so you know what may or may not need to happen next.

    Take care

    Naomi

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