Worried about possible melanoma

Hi, I’m 21 and I saw a video on TikTok last night about cancer cells spreading and dividing and the comments prompted me to look at a mole that I’ve had for a while. I’m pretty sure I’ve had it my whole life if not most of my life as I can’t remember when it first appeared or anything. It’s had a dark dot / blotch in it for a while (size is 5-6mm, symmetrical border, very raised, rough texture, bit crusty but not sure if it’s just dry?) which is why I am so so concerned and deeply worried. I can’t stop crying and I can’t eat or sleep or do literally anything because I’m so worried. I can’t stop researching things even though I know I shouldn’t be googling but I just can’t even begin to wrap my head around this. I made an econsult to my GP with pictures of the mole and they agree it needs to be looked at within a week or so. I know they can’t give reassurance about it because they don’t know what it is yet but it’s made me feel so so much worse. I get really severe health anxiety so I thought maybe it’s just that but I guess it’s not :( I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to feel just can’t stop crying. I know it is absolutely not the worst cancer at all and if anything there are many treatment options for melanoma but it’s still so incredibly scary. I’m so worried as well because i feel unwell a lot, like nausea, dizziness, vertigo, muscle aches, weakness etc. which I’ve felt on/off for the past year or so maybe longer so now I’m thinking it’s possibly spread to my brain and other organs. I know those symptoms can most definitely be other things particularly as I do have other health diagnoses but I’m so terrified that these unexplained symptoms have just been cancer all along :( I’m sorry for the rant and sorry if nothing makes sense I’m just absolutely beyond terrified and I don’t know what to say or do or think 

  • Hi LittleEgg38,

    A very warm welcome to our forum.

    It is only natural to feel as you do when you think that you may have a cancer. We always advise people to stay away from consulting "Dr Google", as this only serves to scare us further. Much of the information is poorly researched, out of date and aimed at the more spectacular cases. Our over-active imaginations can also take us to all sorts of dark places. Many of us suddenly recall all sorts of ailments that may indicate spread, but fortunately this seldom turns out to be the case. Crying is also a common reaction at this time. It's not such a bad thing, as shedding those tears is a great stress reliever. They'll soon dry up once you know whether or not this is something untoward. 

    Let's look at some positives. Not all moles are cancerous and you describe your lesion as having a symmetrical border. This is good, because most cancers have a 'jaggy' or uneven border. You also describe it as crusty - this could relate to some benign conditions too. I hope that you get your appointment through soon and that all turns out to be ok. In the meantime, try to keep yourself preoccupied with other activities to take your mind off this wait - not easy, I know! 

    One good thing that watching this video has done is to make you more aware of cancer. Don't forget this lesson. It is always worth checking yourself for signs of any changes and getting them investigated immediately, if you notice any. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on at the clinic. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx