Hi Jessnut,

I'm sorry you are experiencing the worry of a biopsy, especially with your family going through their own cancer diagnosis. 

Not every atypical mole is found to be cancerous. Some are benign, some are cancerous and some are dysplastic navus which means they look dodgy but are benign - however they remove them because they have the ability, in the future, to turn cancerous. Also, new moles sometimes appear or existing ones change whilst pregnant due to hormones - they aren't always cancerous either. So it's not odds on that your new mole is cancerous but the dermatologist can only make a proper diagnosis after a biopsy.

If it is melanoma don't panic - hopefully it's been caught quick and isn't very deep which means it can be removed completely with a safe margin of surrounding skin to ensure no stray cells have broken away (the thinner the mole the less chance of any breakaway cells). Treatment for melanoma has made great strides and still continues to find new drugs etc that are helping patients who would have had no help in the past. I myself was diagnosed many years ago and although I am now Stage 3 I am still fit, healthy and with no evidence of disease after 23 years. I know many patients who were young mums when they were diagnosed and they are now seeing their children go to university or have families of their own so please try not to stress too much until you know the result.The good thing is that you haven't long to wait for it's removal and hopefully the results won't be too long coming back. In the interim try and find things to do that distract you as the 'waiting game' between appointments is the hardest part of all. 

Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie