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)

That's very good aftercare, thank god for the NHS

Yes indeed, cannot fault them one bit 

Hey Louise,

I'm glad to hear that you are doing okay now after your diagnosis. I just wanted a bit of advice, I stabbed myself with a pin about a year ago and it left a faint black line down my thumb nail from the tip to the cuticle, I spoke to my GP and he told me to keep an eye on it and if see if it grows and he'll send me to a dermatologist, it's stayed the same, however my thumb starting to hurt on that side, it's like cold/numb with pain, could you give me some insight into your experience? 

Hello

My oncologist did say he believes my melanoma was caused by some sort of trauma, however, nobody cam be sure with this type. How long have you had the line? After quite some time mine did start to hurt but my nail started to lift after a year and it looked like a bruise. 

Remember how rare this is, keep an eye on it, and if you are still concerned please go back the gp 

Regards 

Thank you for the reply Louise

I've had it for about a18 months now,  my thumb has started hurting I can't quite tell if it's my thumb itself or the nail, all I know it's on the side with the line and I've done some googling like we all do and scared myself silly, I've read it's prominent in Carribbeans, which I am descended from, I've contacted my gp and they are going to send some photos of to a dermatologist, hopefully I can get some answers and relief the stress.

Hi Raymond, I hope you do not mind me messaging..

 I too have a similar case to yourself. I noticed a few months ago a brown streak in my thumb nail and have referred under the two week rule to a dermatologist. 
I have another week to wait and it's driving me crazy not knowing. I have looked back through some pictures and can see the line up to a year and half ago! 
So interested to find out how you got on with your results and how you currently are coping? 
thanks Kayleigh 

Hello

If you have had it this long then I would ask your gp to send you for a biopsy, I had to see 4 different GPS before the last one took it seriously. Mine did go red on the side and hurt when you touched it, kind of like a thrombin pain. You need to be your own advocate in this game and unfortunately a lot of GPS don't know much about the warning signs, please keep making appointments until someone takes it seriously. If only to rule it out, please keep me posted x

Hey,

I spoke to my GP, she said that the lines in melanoma are darker than the one I have on my thumb, but she is going to send the photos I sent her off to a dermatologist for a second opinion and it is a throbbing pain that comes and goes, but it's in the side of my thumb 

Hello

Mine was extremely faint, then it disappeared and I had a kind of bruise on my nail at the bottom but no line where it hurt. Just go with your gut, if it doesn't feel right, pursue it x

Hi Kay - you are welcome to contact me

I had my 2nd appointment this past Monday with the dermatologist. The consultant felt it was Longitudinal Melanonchyia and didn'trequire a biopsy but would monitor and be followed up in 4 months.

The Dr did say if I wanted she would request a biopsy. So for the past 48hrs I have been wrestling with this dilema - do I trust the instinct of the Dr or do I book a biopsy which apparently is very painful, will possibly put me out of work for x amount of time and possibly deform the finger. I'd obviously prefer the latter if the Dr turned out to be wrong!

The line is 1mm wide, very uniform in colour (a greyish/brownish colour) and straight with what appears to be no Hutchinson sign. I chopped a bit off the end of the nail and the line stopped where I cut the nail suggesting it is in the nail and not the skin? Obviously I have no idea.

So that is where I am at. If I was giving advice I'd probably say get the biopsy but when do we listen to our recommendations?

Part of me thinks I am overthinking but there is only one way to be certain here....

As to your situation. is the line darker/thicker etc? Mine appears to have not changed since I noiticed it 9 months ago but I cannot be sure. 

If you wish to message me privately I can send a picture of my nail (if this is not allowed then my apologies to the mods).

It goes without saying that you should follow the advice of the experts and not any of us but I'm definitely happy to share as much info as I can with you from my experience. 

It is scary. I've kept it to myself as my loved ones would panic. I'm not sure if that was for the best or not  but I can say I understand your concerns.

I am happyto talk any time.

Hi Kay - you are welcome to contact me

I had my 2nd appointment this past Monday with the dermatologist. The consultant felt it was Longitudinal Melanonchyia and didn'trequire a biopsy but would monitor and be followed up in 4 months.

The Dr did say if I wanted she would request a biopsy. So for the past 48hrs I have been wrestling with this dilema - do I trust the instinct of the Dr or do I book a biopsy which apparently is very painful, will possibly put me out of work for x amount of time and possibly deform the finger. I'd obviously prefer the latter if the Dr turned out to be wrong!

The line is 1mm wide, very uniform in colour (a greyish/brownish colour) and straight with what appears to be no Hutchinson sign. I chopped a bit off the end of the nail and the line stopped where I cut the nail suggesting it is in the nail and not the skin? Obviously I have no idea.

So that is where I am at. If I was giving advice I'd probably say get the biopsy but when do we listen to our recommendations?

Part of me thinks I am overthinking but there is only one way to be certain here....

As to your situation. is the line darker/thicker etc? Mine appears to have not changed since I noiticed it 9 months ago but I cannot be sure. 

If you wish to message me privately I can send a picture of my nail (if this is not allowed then my apologies to the mods).

It goes without saying that you should follow the advice of the experts and not any of us but I'm definitely happy to share as much info as I can with you from my experience. 

It is scary. I've kept it to myself as my loved ones would panic. I'm not sure if that was for the best or not  but I can say I understand your concerns.

I am happyto talk any time.

Thank for your  reply! 
glad to hear they do not think it is serious! I do feel for your dilemma but if you think it will cause you more long term Damage in terms of the worry it may cause you and worrying what could be then I would say to do it.

How long do they say it will put you out of work for?

my band is around 1.5-2mm in width and a brown streak but it isn't really dark as in black. Although I think it may have got darker as that's how I noticed it was there. Going through pictures it does look lighter in the past but hard to tell

properly from a photograph. 
please let me know how you get on and good luck with your journey!
​​​​​​​

Hi Raymond,

Firstly - I'm not a medical professional, so this is just my experience and opinion. 

I had a thin brown line on my index fingrnail appear around a year ago, was barely visible and I assumed I'd perhaps stained the nail with ink or similar. It got darker, and I saw my GP who referred me onto dermatology. They thought it was melanonchyia but took a clinical picture for observation. I went back in August as the line had doubled in width and got darker. 

I had the Biopsy in late September - it was painful for a week or so, I couldn't type. It's much better now, doesn't look very pretty but no pain. 

I don't have the results back yet, so I don't know if it is cancerous or not (I have previously had Basal Cell Carcinoma and am high risk for more of those) but I'm glad that one way or another I'll know what it was and it's set my mind at rest as it's difficult not to catastrophise and think the worst. 

Still no results, my appointment was set for today and Surgeon called to say they want to do a further round of testing on the Biopsy Sample

I asked if that was a good thing or not, and apparently it just means it's not very obviously cancer, but likewise it's not very obviously normal - so another 2 week wait, and fingers crossed when I have my next appt in 2 weeks the results will be back fully. 

Hello,

Was reading through your posts and sounds similar to me, hope all went well for you? Did you find out what it was?

Hi,

I'm just going through the waiting stage and wondered how you got on, what were your results in the end? I  had the nail and some of the nail bed removed yesterday and so now the long wait to find out. The pain is not too bad, but the sickening feeling is awful. Hope you're well.