Hi Julie,

I know how worried you must be but please try not to fixate on how long you've left it. IF it's malignant (and that's a large IF) it doesn't mean it's been so for that long. Moles start out benign and then turn cancerous so it may only have changed recently. 

75% of patients referred to dermatology receive a clean bill of health so the odds are good that your mole is benign or dysplastic (precancerous). Failing that, if it's malignant there's a good chance it's still been caught early so it's not as bleak as you fear.

The worst part of all this is the waiting. You will have a few weeks waiting for the results once it's been removed so I suggest you find ways to distract yourself to ease the anxiety.

Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

Thank you so much for your reply I really appreciate it.

I didn't even counter in the fact I would have to wait for results too, this is awful it's all I can think about and it's only been a day 

The pain in shoulder and neck could be totally unconnected to the mole.

Thanks,

I have just received my letter from the dermatologist confirming my referral for urgent removal of the mole, still haven't had an appointment date yet.

in the letter it says 'very suspicious pigmented lesion' that's panicked me now why very suspicious that's worse than just suspicious I'm a wreck

Woke up in the middle of the night absolutely drenched in sweat my top was soaked through now convinced this isnt a good sign thinking back this has happened quite a few times in the past few months or so, has anyone else had night sweats with suspected melanoma 

Hi Angie 

thanks so much for replying again, I'm 38 I thought that night sweats were a symptom that it could have spread to lymph nodes? but maybe I need to stop googling stuff.

I have an appointment tomorrow which I thought would be to remove the mole but it's a consultation before the removal depending what they say at the consultation I'm starting to think about getting this done privately as I'm just finding the waiting too difficult 

I just wanted to let you know that I have received my results it's a melanoma in situ, the nurse said it hasn't yet been to  mdt and that I may need a further surgery which will be decided at that meeting although she is leaning towards me needing further surgery but she said it's good news so I'm feeling much better it's been a long wait I chased the results over the phone as my face to face appointment isn't until 26th may 

I got a phone call off the nurse to say I will require a further surgery to achieve the margins they will refer me for this on my appointment 26th may 

Hi Julie,

Sorry for my late reply. Although the diagnosis is a shock for you please know that an in-situ is the best of a melanoma diagnosis. It means it's been caught before it's grown below the surface of the skin so it very, very rarely spreads anywhere else. The wide local excision surgery is a belt and braces procedure so all should go well. Good luck and please keep us updated xx