Hi Rich,

Don't beat yourself up about not getting it checked earlier, we are all guilty of letting life get in the way and not dealing with things at the time.

The dermatologist will check your mole through a dermascope (a handheld microscope that shows them the cell structure & if the cells have changed shape). If they are unsure or they are suspicious of the mole, they will arrange for you to go back as a day patient & have it removed under a local anesthetic. It will be sent for biopsy & the results will confirm if it's either benign, dysplastic (precancerous) or melanoma. 75% of patient's results come back benign or dysplastic so hopefully yours will be the same. If not, it will have hopefully been caught early stage & it can successfully be treated with further surgery to remove the surrounding tissue to ensure no cells have broken away & lodged there.

Try not to worry too much whilst waiting, sometimes the stress can be worse than the outcome! Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)