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Mole / Potential Melenoma

Username6
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I've always had a large dark coloured mole in-between my toes on my left foot for as long as I can remember but recently I started researching skin cancer, specifically melenoma and saw one specific image that looked fairly similar to what I have. 

If I've had this mole for 5-10 years and it's never changed in shape or size is it likely that it could be cancerous? Or would I have had more severe symptoms by now ? 

It does meet one or two of the melenoma 'warning signs' but its always looked the same. 

Thank you for any replies and advice. 

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    Hello and thank you for posting

    Comparing moles on the internet is difficult, as it's easy to jump to worse case scenarios. Any concerns about a mole really needs to be examined by the GP as it just isn't possible to say otherwise.

    If the mole hasn't changed or grown it's perhaps more likely to be a mole that is normal , but it's just not possible to say for sure - it's reasonable to get it checked out by a GP and if necessary, they can always refer to a dermatologist if there are any doubts or concerns.

    All the best

    Wanda

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    Just FYI- I had a mole checked out the other day. I was urgently referred after my mole triggered 3/5 of the warning signs. I was convinced it was identical twins with one I found on page 10 of Google images, probably taken from 10 years ago!! I was "fast tracked" as a "potential cancer patient" to a dermatologist and seen within a week in the hospital. 

    It turns out mine was completely normal- and my appointment lasted all of 5 minutes . It's good to get it checked out but don't compare it to anything you see online!! 

    what looks the same to us, will not look the same to a trained professional looking at your lesion through a dermascope x 

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Wanda

    Hi thanks for the reply, I've been looking into my potential options and I just wondered if you were familiar with the boots mole scanning service ? 

     

    My local GP practice is extremely difficult to get appointments for and it's taken weeks and hundreds of calls to get appointments previously.

     

    The boots service seems much easier and more readily accessible? I just wondered if this was as accurate? It says the images as sent to a dermatologist so it sounds the same.

     

    Thanks 

     

     

  • in reply to Username6

    Hello and thanks for getting back to us again,

    I am sorry to hear that it has been so difficult to get an appointment with your GP.

    Unfortunately we don't know enough about the BOOTS mole service to be able to recommend it. If you are finding it so difficult to get a GP appointment you could think about seeing a private dermatologist (skin specialist) so you can move things along a bit quicker, but this can be costly, so try and preserve with the GP surgery first and be sure to let them know why you need an appointment.

     Have a look at Private HealthCare UK if you want help on finding a dermatologist. A lot of dermatologists don't need a GP referral. You can also get a quote on how much it is all going to cost. Have a look at their details here

    I do hope this helps.

    All the Best,

    Catherine

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