hi mum has had a biosy on her  nail 4 weeks ago and we still have had any news....is this good or bad?

Hi,

You can't tell whether it's good or bad news from how long it takes I'm afraid. The current waiting time for results can be anything from 2 to 5 weeks. All biopsies go through the same procedure - they are examined by histology, the report goes back to the consultant and then the results are discussed at a Multi Disciplinary Team meeting (MDT). This is where the dermatologist, plastic surgeon, oncologist and specialist nurses decide on the next course of action for each patient as per the biopsy results (discharged if benign or further surgery if positive). The hospital then contact the patient to (usually) come back for their results - it's rare they give results by phone or letter. If the hospital didn't give your mum an idea as to the waiting time for her results, I would ring them on Monday and ask if the results are available and when can you expect to hear from them? Sometimes results are delayed because the MDT is only held once a week.

Good luck, I hope you aren't waiting too much longer and that they bring good news. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie (melanoma patient)

thank you i will

Hi we have recieved the diagnosis today. She has grade 1 cancer of the toe. They are going to remove the toe and see that it hasn't spread. 

I'm sorry to hear that but it's been caught early so hopefully it won't have spread. Good luck and please let us know how your mum gets on xx PS. I've sent you a friend request in case I can help in any way by private message.

Hi everyone, 

firstly I apologise for not being in the thread for a while. 18 months ago I noticed a 1mm brown line up my right little toe nail, I didn't think anything about it until a few months later when I someone mentioned  SM and I freaked out!!! 

I managed to see a dermatologist privately and he was not sure if it was melanochiya or SM but he said it pointed more to melanochia. I had photos taken once I got referred under the NHS  and I  had to return 3 months later. In the meantime it got slightly wider so after 2 months I emailed him and told him it has changed slightly and I wanted the biopsy doing. 
mot was 4 weeks later that the biopsy was done and I had to wait 5 weeks for my results!! It was hell on Earth I had convinced myself I had SM and that was that. 
My biopsy results showed the lesion was  benign... I was just so relieved as you can imagine. 
 

fast forward to today and yesterday when I was taking the nail polish off my toes I noticed a purple/ brown/ black solider under my other little toe nail!!!!

thisbisnt a line and only goes half way up my nail but is about 4mm wide!!! 
This one is different to the last one - however it's in exactly the same place as my other toe? 
this looks like a bruise but I haven't injured my toe and it starts right at the bottom. 
 

I can't eat or sleep again..... I can't believe I am going through this again??

Any advice? Anyone else had this type of streak? 

Hi Tillybobs,

It's good to hear that your initial toe nail problem was found to be benign. That should bring some hope to others going through the same worry.

With regards to the toe nail problem, I'm wondering if both little toes have suffered trauma due to ill fitting shoes? This happens to my husband who, when wearing his walking shoes which are comfy but obviously cause pressure on his big toes gets bruise type marks on both his big toes! Do you wear shoes that are 'tight' in the little toe areas?

All that being said, I would still get it checked out by your GP just to be on the safe side as SM can present in different ways on the nail. Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (melanoma patient)

Hi Tillybobs,

i am happy your biopsy came back clear , i do have a similer line on my little toe as well, i had it for about 9 months but keep getting fobbed of by GP's, i went privately as well and they said it is melanonychia buy not worth having a biopsy.... now i am stuck i don't even know where to go. I sent you a friend request can you please accept i would like to ask about your experience with this xx

Hi

I hope your mum's operation went well and she is making a good recovery. I would be grateful  to hear how she coped afterwards as my toe is being amputated on Sept 11th, also lump node biopsy.

Needless to say i am scared stiff.

Hi Margndog

First time poster here. How was your operation on the 11th? I hope you are ok. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that but as strange as it sounds if it has meant you are cancer free it was worth it.

Just to let you know my story and to let you know you are not alone. I noticed a clear black line on my right thumb about 8 months ago. I thought nothing of it as I was having some adominsl pain at the time so was preoccupied I suppose (that pain was the reason I joined this site as I thought the worse back then)

I had a Dr appointment online 2 weeks ago for something else and mentioned this line on my thumb during the consultation-  no advice was given but 1 picture sent by email a week ago got me referred immediately to dermatology. No explanation or anything. I literally just got a call to book an appointment with the hospital.

I am completely in the dark and worried. But, well - I am not alone either I see. 
 

Hope you are going ok.

Hi Margndog

First time poster here. How was your operation on the 11th? I hope you are ok. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that but as strange as it sounds if it has meant you are cancer free it was worth it.

Just to let you know my story and to let you know you are not alone. I noticed a clear black line on my right thumb about 8 months ago. I thought nothing of it as I was having some adominsl pain at the time so was preoccupied I suppose (that pain was the reason I joined this site as I thought the worse back then)

I had a Dr appointment online 2 weeks ago for something else and mentioned this line on my thumb during the consultation-  no advice was given but 1 picture sent by email a week ago got me referred immediately to dermatology. No explanation or anything. I literally just got a call to book an appointment with the hospital.

I am completely in the dark and worried. But, well - I am not alone either I see. 
 

Hope you are going ok.

Hi

Hope you get your dermatology appointment soon. The problem I had was no one would believe that my toe nail hadn't received a trauma. Then from a two week referral it was 3 months before my toe was amputated! It took 2 months to even get the Biopsy. So by the time I was told it was definitely cancer I was totally prepared.

It's hard for you waiting but I am sure you will get better treatment than me. Please let us know how you get on. 

How did yours present? Mine is a line throughout my nail, from nail folds to top and varying shades of brown - wider at the cuticle. 

Its now feeling a little tender beneath than nail as well. 

I am sorry to hear about this Margndog. That is beyond frustrating and I can't offer any words to console you over the unecessary and costly delays. Sounds as if you are on the mend and I hope in some way lots of good comes from this even though that sounds silly.

I have an appointment booked with the dermatology department in 7 days time which was within 1 week of sending a picture of my thumb nail to my GP. As I say, no discussion was had as I was discussing other issues and I so far I have had literally no  medical feedback. I sent the picture and received a referral to dermatology. and that is it. 

My line does not appear to go into the cuticle but is a dark line which goes along the entire nail. Looking at the nail, I can see a similar but lighter line about 1 cm to the side of which also goes along the entire nail.

I am finding I have moments of deep breaths but the speed of things hasn't given me time to really think about it and I am trying not too. I am not sure what to make of this right now.

Hi Raymond,

Your story is similar to mine I had the line on my left thumb for 3 years, but was going through abdominal pain & never bothered about my thumb. Had my gallbladder removed last year and then my thumb started giving me pain in April. 

Don't painic about the quickness of your appointment coming through it is standard practice for the NHS called the 2 week referral so patients get the appointment in or around the 2 week mark.. 

I had my biopsy done in July, had my thumb nail removed and biopsy done on my nail bed.

I hope your appointment with dermatology goes well. 

Hi Weeirish

I hope the biopsy results have hone/go well. Our stories are eerily similar.

I had my dermatology appointment 2 days ago on Monday - they took a picture with what looked like an ipad (I think it was one) and said someone would contact me within 2 weeks. That is it. I don't think even a dermascopy was used - the person wasn't a dermatologist but an assistant nurse who didn't seem to know much and very little was said.

Oddly my brother, after I told him about this line, found he has one (smaller than mine) so is awaiting a Dr's appointment.  He does not know how long he has had it.

Good luck, thank you for your message and please keep me updated with how things are going.

Take care. 

Good luck everyone on your results and journeys, I will be coming up to 2 years since being diagnosed with stage 3B Acral after having my thumb amputated and a positive sentinel node. I currently have no evidence of disease, stay strong and focused and whatever the results, try stay positive. Wishing you all so much luck, anything you need to know about this type of cancer feel free to ask

Hi Louise,

Good to hear from you, I am so pleased to hear you now have NED. I followed your story since before you were diagnosed as I was just starting out my investigations on what thankfully turned out to be benign. 
I am now awaiting a referral for a second lesion. 

Can I ask how long you had the lesion on your thumb before diagnosis? Was it a line or more a streak? What I find strange is how my new streak wasn't there 3 months ago ( it's on my toe and I didn't re paint my nails for a month yet it was just there!) 

I thought they had to grow all the way up the nail which would take months??

Has anyone else just had it appear or have you noticed it start from the nail bed and grow up? 
 

thanks

sharon 

Hello lovely 

Sorry to hear your going through more investigations. Fingers crossed everything will fine, you know the odds are in your favour! 

I honestly cannot remember how long I had mine, looking back on photos you can see a tiny black speck on my nail and I mean pin ***, quite surreal to see, further photos show a line, the line then disappeared and a bluey black bruise appeared on my nail about half the size of an eraser on the end of pencil. My nail then started crumbling and lifting and a wart like growth started to push my nail up and bled which is when I went back to drs asking for anti bs as my fungal nail was infected lol.

Mine was so small to start it was unnoticeable, its only now when I zoom in on pics and how educated I now am on Acral Melanoma I see the signs. I must have had it at least 2 years and touch wood I have been lucky so far it hasn't spread to organs but I have just completed a years immunotherapy (March) to help tackle any stray cells that may be lurking.

Try not to worry ok, you got this xx

[@louiseandfin]‍ Great to hear you're ned - how often are your check ups now? 

[@Tillybobs123]‍ mine was a line all the way from cuticle to top of nail when it first appeared, but incredibly faint. Over the last year it's got wider and darker, especially near the cuticle.

My checkups are every 3 month a full body CT, every 6 months a brain MRI in between I see plastics every 6 months for wellbeing and skin check, these are at a hospital in Manchester and I see a derm at my local hospital