Hi Daisychains,

Earlier this year I was advised by my lymphoedema nurse to get a mole on my back checked out. Because she highlighted this, I thought the worst. I had to wait for several weeks to get an appointment with the dermatologist.

They have a good system here. Because dermatology is such a busy clinic, waiting times are longer than those recommended. My GP sent a referral to dermatology, but on the same day she also sent a referral to medical imaging. I got this appointment through within a week. They took a photo of my mole and sent it to the dermatologist for appraisal. She then determined the referral time according to priority.

I have already had 2 bouts of breast cancer, so I was mightily relieved when she told me that my mole was nothing to worry about and didn't need ant further intervention. It is not unusual to get an inconclusive result from pathology and I'm sure that you would prefer them to make certain instead of leaving you with an inconclusive decision or a mis-diagnosis. Nine weeks is a long time to wait for your results.

Waiting for results is one of the scariest parts of any potential cancer journey with all the uncertainties it carries and I feel for you having to wait so long.

You are young and, although it's not impossible, less likely to develop something untoward. Try to keep yourself as busy as you can to distract yourself from the wait. Also try to avoid consulting Dr Google, as this usually only serves to scare you for no particular purpose.

You cannot read anything sinister into this delay, but neither can you rejoice that all is clear. It could still go either way.

Do please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

JOlamine xx

Hi Daisychains,

This hasn't happened to me but I do know of several people that have been in your position. Sometimes the biopsied tissue isn't obvious for melanoma & they prefer to send it to another specialist for a second opinion. This actually is a good thing because if they assumed it was OK and it turns it wasn't OK the melanoma would progress & not be picked up early enough for some treatments. Similarly, if they erred on the side of caution & assumed it was positive for melanoma you could go through invasive surgery for nothing!

It's upsetting that you have to wait a lot longer for the results - the waiting is always the hardest part when dealing with hospitals tests - however you & your clinicians want to make sure they've got the correct result. Try and keep busy & don't overthink it. 

Best wishes,

Angie (Melanoma patient)

Hi Daisychains, I’m in a similar situation where I had a mole removed 5 weeks ago and have been told they’re not sure on the diagnosis and so have sent it for further tests/other opinions, which may take a further 6 weeks.

I am finding the wait a very anxious time as I can’t help but assume it’s going to be melanoma. Have you had your results back yet?

Hi daisychains,

I'm sorry that after a long wait you find it's melanoma. The wide local excision (WLE) is usually where they take a safe margin of tissue - dependant on the depth of the melanoma it will be anything between 1 to 2 mm in diameter. It shocks people when they see what a large wound they have for such a small mole but it's the depth that's important, not the diameter of the mole. The size of the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) will depend on how many nodes light up with the dye. One node will mean a smaller incision, two will be slightly larger and so on. I wasn't offered a SLNB so I can only speak from other patient's experiences but the average nodes removed are 2. So the incision may be the same size as the excision wound.  I had a complete lymph node removal in my groin because mm appeared as a lump (Stage 3) and they took all the nodes from my pelvis too. The incision in my groin was 7ins long but your's will be nowhere near as big. Because of where your WLE will be, and the incision in your groin, I would guess they may advise you don't drive for 2 or 3 weeks. Walking long distances will be about the same (I'm assuming you mean normal daily walking and not hiking? If hiking it will about 6 weeks).The trick is to build it up slowly so you don't put pressure on the wounds.

Good luck with the surgery & let us know how you get on,

Angie

daisychains - I had a wide excision last week for melanoma. I await histology results. There was a sizeable chunk removed & the next day the stitches felt very tight & pulling but they're easing now. I was advised not to walk more than 10mins til stitches removed in 2 weeks. 

I'm just so disappointed that I wasn't referred to Dermatology 16 months ago when I first told my GP my concerns & was assured the irregular leg mole was 'nothing to worry about'. 

Hope you get a date soon and that it goes well for you