Hi Angie,

I'm afraid most hospital Trusts have very long waiting lists for results currently. This is because there is a large lack of histologists around the country & a bigger backlog as more people are seeking help for dodgy moles.

I'm also afraid that you can't tell by the amount of time taken whether the results are benign or malignant. It's first come first served.

The results waiting period is an ever changing landscape - with your Trust it's got longer since you had your excision. It's an awful amount of stress for a patient to be under & there is no sign of it improving soon. I hope you get them back quickly but meanwhile try & find a way to distract yourself from the worry. Good luck & please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

My consultant rang me yesterday to discuss results. He said my mole was very complex and the report was long. He said it’s not cancer but they are sending it for a 2nd opinion to a private company for some of its dysplastic features. They will discuss the findings at the next MDT meeting and he will be in touch in 1-2 weeks. He did say twice that it was not cancer, but now slightly concerned why they requested a 2nd opinion 

Hi,I too have recently recieved my diagnosis too after calling the hospital. Mine too is a dysplastic diagnosis. 
and yes, take their reassurance. As even if researched, dysplastic is not cancerous thankfully it is benign. It just means we are at higher risk of developing skin cancer in the future. 

That’s great to hear .. so glad you got a benign result too x

That's good to hear.

Sometimes it's difficult to tell how dysplastic the cells are. To simplify it - a mole is usually benign with a normal cell structure. If the cells start to change shape they are classed as dysplastic (atypical). Changing shape means there is a good chance, if left in-situ, they could become malignant. In your case it sounds like they are happy the mole is dysplastic but they are unsure how much the cells have changed as the cell structure may not be presenting exactly as other dysplastic cells do. Getting a second (or even third opinion) from other histologists is not rare. I know several people who this has happened to - one person's was even sent to a specialist histology department in the Netherlands! The good thing is that they are happy it's not malignant. Just be aware that someone with dysplastic moles has a higher chance of having other dysplastic moles in the future so keep an eye on your moles for any changes so they can be caught early.

Thank you for your reassuring explanation 

You are very welcome. xx

UPDATE: I received a letter dated 4/6 with my first results stating severely dysplastic nevus which was borderline but just fell short of melanoma in situ. They were still awaiting slides back for a 2nd opinion and discussion in MDT. Few days ago received a letter via patient portal for an appointment with dermatology in July. Now I’m not sure what to think or expect. 

If it was borderline dysplastic/melanoma in-situ & they can't agree on which it is, they usually treat it as if it was definitely in-situ. If this is the case they may have made the appointment to check the excision site, check any other moles you have & give you any advice they think is appropriate. In some case they also remove a little more tissue in that area (a Wide Local Excision) and monitor the patient with a couple of check ups for 12 months so it will depend on what the consultant thinks.

The good news is that an in-situ can't spread as it's contained in the top layer of skin so you shouldn't have any further problems with that mole in the future. The bad news is that you are at risk of having another dysplastic or melanoma again in the future but you will be an expert at checking yourself from now on & will catch any worrying mole quickly.

Let us know how you get on next month. Good luck x

If it was borderline dysplastic/melanoma in-situ & they can't agree on which it is, they usually treat it as if it was definitely in-situ. If this is the case they may have made the appointment to check the excision site, check any other moles you have & give you any advice they think is appropriate. In some case they also remove a little more tissue in that area (a Wide Local Excision) and monitor the patient with a couple of check ups for 12 months so it will depend on what the consultant thinks.

The good news is that an in-situ can't spread as it's contained in the top layer of skin so you shouldn't have any further problems with that mole in the future. The bad news is that you are at risk of having another dysplastic or melanoma again in the future but you will be an expert at checking yourself from now on & will catch any worrying mole quickly.

Let us know how you get on next month. Good luck x

Thank you