Hi Darragh,

No question is silly so please don't apologise. Firstly, your melanoma has been caught very, very early before it grew into the next layer of tissue. So it means that there is no chance it can have spread anywhere in your body. It's now been removed and the WLE is just a 'belt & braces' procedure to ensure they've taken a safe margin of tissue from around the melanoma but to all intents & purposes the melanoma 'is no more'. 

Your dysplastic mole, like your melanoma, is having the same procedure. If you weren't already having a WLE they probably wouldn't have done one on the dysplastic mole but agian, they are doing it as a 'belt & braces' for your peace of mind. Dysplasia means the cells are starting to change and would possibly become malignant at some point in the future so they are removing the chance of it happening. Neither the melanoma or the dysplastic mole are connected - cancerous moles don't spread to make another mole cancerous - it's just bad luck that you have had them at the same time. People with a dysplastic mole tend to have a lot of moles (over 100) so the odds of having another dodgy mole are raised. The trick, after surgery, is to know how to keep an eye on your moles from now on, just in case another starts to look dodgy. The good thing is that you are in the system, they will tell you what to look out for and you will get treated quickly again in the future if another pops up.

I hope this helps calm your fears - you no longer have a malignant mole, your body has no melanoma anywhere and you will have a long & happy life, just keep an eye out for any dodgy mole in the future.

Good luck,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient)

Hi Angie.

Many thanks for the reply and it was so reassuring to hear your wise words. Just wanted to give a quick update. I have recently had the WLE completed on both areas. Very swift process and some pain after but nothing major. Have had results back that both are clear and will be heading for skin checks every three months this year. SPF 50 is now a daily routine and I am much more aware of my body. Still very anxious and getting another body check next week to ease my concerns (I hope). I will stay in touch and just want to thank you so much Angie. I have read countless replies you have given to people on this forum and you are a star. Stay safe.