Hi,

My first piece of advice is to take someone with you so that you don't miss anything that's said to you. If you can't, take a notebook with you & pop down anything that's said so you remember it later. 

The dermatologist will ask you questions such as how long you've had the mole, when did you notice any change in colour or size etc. If it's a new mole, when did you notice it? They will then examine the mole under a handheld microscope - it's called a dermatascope - it shows any change in the shape of the cell structure of the mole and they can take photos of the mole. 

If the dermatascope doesn't show the cells are totally normal in structure, they will then suggest it's removed for a biopsy. If this happens, you will receive an appointment to go back and the mole will be removed under local anaesthetic as a day patient. It then takes a few weeks for the results to come back from histology. 75% of patients referred to dermatology find their mole is either benign or dysplastic (also called atypical or precancerous). Dysplastic moles look ugly and have the ability to become malignant in the future but aren't yet melanoma. If it's melanoma, then you will be called back for further surgery to ensure they've caught any stray cancer cells close to the site of the mole.

I hope this helps. Good luck next week and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)