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Beginning to panic! (Mole excision)

MrsHilton84
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hi all,

 

first time posting for me today. I went to the gp with a mole that had grown from the size of a pinhead to around 7mm in 5-6 months (It’s on my chest).

I went for a biopsy and was told it was an atypical mole, more specifically a Dysplastic Nevus and it would be removed as a precaution. 

I had it removed nearly 4 weeks ago. It was 8mm when measured by the specialist so he had to do a larger area excision (eye shaped) to ensure he had removed the whole mole plus a margin of skin.had my stitches out last week. All good so far. No mention of having to ever go back etc  thought I would get a letter like I did after the initial the biopsy  

Got a phone call from the hospital on Tuesday to say ‘we HAVE to see you this week’. Booked in for Friday. 

Got a phone all yesterday (Wednesday) to rearrange my appointment for the end of next week because ‘histology want to take another more in depth look at the cells’. 

Im remaining blaze on the surface for work, husband and two teenagers but I am secretly starting to panic. 

Isn’t it normal that they recall you back to the hospital just to give you reaults if it’s all clear? I’m making the presumption they must want to take more skin away or give me news that it’s not just a non cancerous dysplastic nevus. 

Reassurance would be great but also honesty (if you don’t think it’s going to be all clear) 

thanks on advance and apologies for spelling and grammar! 

Mrs H

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    Hello MrsH.  One of the things I have learned from many months on this forum is that (generally, there will always be exceptions) results are given in person.  Some time ago someone asked why they didn't just give a phone call to people whose tests had revealed no problem but it was quickly seen that everyone would soon learn the way the system works and those who were called in for a face-to-face discussion would be panicking about what was wrong.  I know it is difficult not to start guessing why you have this recall but there is no way of knowing until you get there.  At least they are being thorough and checking everything.    By the way, your post is entirely legible and comprehensible.  Cheers.  Annie

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    Hi Mrs H,

    I'm assuming that you were told it was a dysplastic naevus by the dermatologist BEFORE it was removed for biopsy? Obviously they know their jobs but even they can't 100% tell if it is benign or cancerous without a biopsy. It may well be that the cells aren't giving them a definitive answer, this happens sometimes & they either have to get a second opinion from another histology department or they may want to remove further tissue to test that. 

    As already advised by Annieliz, most consultants prefer to give results face to face, whether it's good or bad news, so you have been called back anyway. If it is a dysplastic naevus they also want to keep an eye on your other moles so don't be alarmed if they ask you to return for 3 monthly check ups, at least for a year. This is because a dysplastic naevus is a mole that looks dodgy but is benign. However, they remove them because they have a far larger chance of turning cancerous if left in situ. People with dysplastic naevus usually have a few dodgy looking moles so that's why they keep an eye on you.

    Hopefully the appointment is to explain all this to you & perhaps to say that they can't give you a full biopsy result until it's been double checked. If it's to say they are unsure & need more tissue then hopefully it will come back benign. One alternative is that, in a few cases, they never get a definitive answer, so in those cases they tend to treat it as if it's cancerous (to be on the safe side) - they would remove a larger section (a wide local excision) to check there are no cells floating around in the surrounding tissue & then do regular check ups dependant on the depth of the mole (the depth is the important measurement, not the diameter of the mole on the skin). 

    I hope this helps explain what is possibly happening & I hope the appointment brings you good news. Please let us know how you get on,

    Angie (melanoma patient)

     

  • Offline in reply to AngieT

    I was told is was a dysplastic nevus in my letter after the biopsy. Reassuring to know all results are given in person!

  • Offline in reply to MrsHilton84

    Ah, OK, so you have received an appointment after they did a wide local excision. Again, that is the norm - they will want to explain what, if anything, was found from the surrounding tissue. Hopefully it was clear & they may give you 3 monthly check ups for at least a year to ensure that you have no further problem with any other moles. Crossing fingers for you & please let us know how you get on,

    Angie x

  • Offline in reply to MrsHilton84

    Hi, I'm going through something similar. Did you get good news in the end? 

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