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Worried parent

Fifiers
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My 17 year old daughter has a red growth on her back, I first noticed it in may and she had scratched it on the 7th hung and it was bleeding and I made an appointment with the GP, I took her to the GP and the growth had a scab on it for to it bleeding, the GP has took pictures and sent it to the skin clinic to be assessed, I have had a text message from the GO saying the skin clinic will be in touch with an appointment face to face for further assessment! I rang the hospital and they told me she is on the most urgent list and it will take up to 19 week! I have been so stressed I have booked a private clinic and have an appointment for the 14th August! I’m sick with worry as I feel the skin clinic has saw something bad in the pictures! I still have nearly 3 weeks to wait for this private appointment and have such dread and worry hanging over me! Can anyone advise me as to why they would have red flagged her ? Do they think it’s cancer? I feel the GP or the hospital haven’t even rang me to explain what’s actually going on and I’m so scared! 

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    Hi Fifiers,

    A very warm welcome to the forum.

    It is impossible to say what this is yet. It is normal practice with dermatology patients for them to send a photograph initially. The Dermatologist can then decide which patients need to be seen and which don't.  I can understand that you are worried about your daughter - I would be too! However, this does not mean to say that she has cancer - it just means that the lesion needs to be looked at. If they feel that there might be anything sinister, they will take a biopsy. This is the only way that they can be sure if the lesion is cancerous. I have been through this procedure and mine was benign. If they do a biopsy, it can take a few weeks for the results to become available.

    I sincerely hope that all turns out well. Please keep in touch and let us know. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

  • Hello and thanks for posting

    I'm sorry you are worried about your daughters skin lesion.

    I see that you have been given some good advice by Jolamine, and an urgent referral does not mean your daughter has cancer. The skin clinic has likely put her on the urgent pathway because the growth is new, it bled after being scratched, they cannot tell exactly what it is from a photograph alone, and they want a specialist to examine it properly.

    Many harmless skin growths can look red and bleed easily, so there are several possible explanations besides cancer.

    It's good that your daughter has a private appointment coming up in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, this will give you both answers much sooner.

    For now, try to remember that urgent does not mean cancer, and a specialist review is often done as a precaution. Most skin lesions seen in skin clinics turn out to be non-cancerous.

    I hope this is of some use. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene

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