Hi,

The waiting is the hardest part of all this so you have to find a coping strategy so you don't make yourself ill with worry. Firstly, look at the positives - they are moving quickly so the mole will be removed asap and that's the first hurdle jumped. Try to break down what's happening into manageable portions & don't jump ahead in time and worry about something you don't yet know. There are many variables in what the biopsy can find & it will only stress you out if you focus on it being cancerous. It could be benign, it could be a dysplastic (atypical) mole or it could be melanoma. If benign that's great. If dysplastic that's also great although they will check all your other moles as dysplastic moles need to be removed as, if left, they have the capability of turning cancerous in the future. If melanoma, OK that's not great however there are lots of treatments these days and, if caught early, there is every chance you will have no further problem.

Of every 10 people that are referred to dermatology only 2 or 3 have a cancerous mole so the odds are good that yours is fine. If it turns out to be melanoma and it's caught early there is a 93% chance you will have no further problem. So don't jump the gun & think the worst before you even know if it's a problem.

As for coping strategies - keeping busy is very important - whether it's with work, doing a hobby you enjoy, spending time with family & friends or pampering yourself. Trying meditation, mindfulness, yoga or something similar will help to relax you. Be kind to yourself and do things that will help distract you, even if only for an hour here & there.  We are always here to help if you need to unload. Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie (melanoma patient)

Hi Angie,

Firstly thank you so much for your reply. Your reply has really helped me and put me at ease. At the moment that’s invaluable. If you don’t mind me asking, was yours a melanoma mole? I don’t have much knowledge and don’t know if melanoma if specific to moles.

You are right about keeping busy. The hardest part is finding the motivation. I may start yoga and I definitely need to plan my days to ensure I don’t have time to overthink.

I feel stupid for leaving it a year. It’s hardly changed in that time but I’m not sure how fast a melanoma mole would change anyway. Since the balls been moving (including the worry) I think that I can feel the mole being twingey but I’m not sure if it’s my mind playing tricks on me.

I mean worst case scenario that it is melanoma, I have read it’s highly unlikely you die from that and it’s nearly always treatable. I’m not ready to go yet

Once again, really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to reply. So thank you. 

Hi,

Yes, my melanoma was a mole that I had from childhood and it had changed in colour (gone black). 

The majority of melanoma is caused by an existing mole changing in some way (size or shape or colour or itchs/bleeds). It can also be a new mole that appears and matches any of these. In a minority of cases it can be a new growth or lesion that doesn't look like a mole but looks unusual.

Please don't worry about the twinges you feel - moles that are cancerous do not hurt or feel odd (unless they itch or bleed and scab). They are painless. If melanoma is diagnosed early then it can be treated successfully by surgery. I left my dodgy mole for a year and, although I am now Stage 3, I have lived with it for 23 years. I consider myself lucky and hopefully you will be too. 

Hello

Thanks for your reply.

I hope they moved quickly for you and that the process was as smooth as it could be?

Does this mean you are having chemo and how long till they expect you to be clear?

The impression I’m getting is that anything that looks slightly suspicious they whip off. 

I wish I had more support from the NHS during my process, it has been quick though. So thank you for your help, it has been really informative and I really appreciate it.

Hi,

I did get swift treatment when I first saw dermatology with my mole - it was removed & I had 5 years of check ups. Sadly it returned 13 years later as a lump in my groin - I had all the nodes removed in my groin & pelvis and have been on regular check ups since then. Until last year only Stage 4 patients received drug treatment (I'm Stage 3) but new Stage 3 patients now get the same treatment in an effort to prevent it returning. Chemo doesn't work on melanoma so research has produced some immunotherapy drugs and targeted drugs more suited to melanoma (and some other cancers like lung cancer). You are right that anything suspicious that can't be ruled out immediately is surgically removed as a biopsy is the only 100% way of diagnosing melanoma. 

Support is lacking whilst awaiting a biopsy and results I'm afraid. If melanoma is found, that is when the support starts - patients are given a SCN (Specialist Cancer Nurse) who is available by phone or email so you can contact them with any questions/worries whilst awaiting teatment or appointments. Sadly, the rates of melanoma & other skin cancers are growing so it's hard for the NHS to keep up with the staffing levels to match. Macmillan is always available if you have any worries (their number is on their website) and if your local hospital has a Macmillan or a Maggie's Centre you can pop in there for advice - they also provide counselling.

If diagnosed with melanoma the Stage determines how long you are seen at regular check ups & then discharged. If early Stage (1 or 2) you are seen for between 1 & 5 years (dependant on other factors). If Stage 3 it's 5 years (it used to be 10 & I'm seen for 10 under the old system), if Stage 4 you are seen for life. If Stage 3 or 4 we can never say we are completely clear, because it can return at any time. Melanoma doesn't have remission as with other cancers - instead it's called No Evidence of Disease (NED), again, because it can return at any time. Stage 1 & 2 patients have a much better chance of never having a further problem so, once discharged, you can be considered clear.

It's very confusing, I know, but hopefully you won't have to worry because there is every chance your mole will be fine. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie

Hi Angie,

I have had mole problems throughout my life. I had an absolute massive mole removed from side of my foot when I was 7years old, it had potential to be cancerous but was all okay and removed at the right time. 

Then several years ago I got a very small mole on my breast. It quickly grew and changed colour, shape etc.. this was removed 2 years ago and again, was benign but was told it was removed at the right time.

Both these moles were about the size of a 20p coin and the roots of them went very deep so had to have a lot of tissue removed.

I was rushed in as an urgent referral both times with these and the worry it has caused was immense. 

Anyway, guess I'm trying to say that it can all look very negative and sinister but try keep positive as it could be fine. 

Biopsy results do take a while in some cases,  I was waiting around 1 month and that was due to the saying they were still waiting on a second specialist to look at my results and they will call me to advise the outcome, which petrified me further but in the end I was okay and really hope you get a good result also.

Sending you a hug and wishing you luck with your results xx

I'm so sorry you are feeling so down after your surgery and the tactless remark of the beautician. Try not to fixate on what she said - just because her mum died from melanoma doesn't mean that the same will happen to you - there are too many variables with melanoma to try and compare two people together. 

In a way it's good that the consultant will call with your results, it means you aren't waiting for weeks for an appointment letter and then weeks for the appointment. They won't go into it all on the phone but will tell you if it's good or bad news and, if bad news, arrange a date for you to go see them to explain it in full and what the next steps will be. As I said before, for every 10 that have a mole removed only 2 or 3 are melanoma so the odds for good news are in your favour. They should have explained that the mole is removed under theatre conditions as a day surgery patient - this is because it's an invasive procedure done under a local in a sterilised environment. This happens to everyone.

I hope you heal well, your results come through quickly and they bring you good news. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie

Hi,

I've read a few threads on here and you're always so helpful to everyone, thank you. I've just had a MM diagnosis this week and I feel absolutely sick, I'm so worried and anxious. I lnow this is normal and I need to process it all and find my way through it. I have the wider excursion at the end of the week and then more consultant appointments. I'm now worried about every other mole I have on my body. I'm stage 1, so I caught it early, however I suddenly feel in a panic about the rest of the moles on my body. The one I found had a little scab so I got it looked at straight away. What stage were you diagnosed? 

Its good to hear someone with such a positive outlook.

Thank you

Hi,

I'm sorry you've been diagnosed with melanoma but it's good you've caught it early. I was Stage 1b when first diagnosed in 1996. It returned in my groin/pelvic nodes in 2009 but I'm still here, fit & healthy 11 years later! I was one of the unlucky 5% of Stage 1 patients that has a recurrence but my luck changed & I'm still fine, long after my surgery. These days there are much better treatments for melanoma too so it's not as desperate a diagnosis as it was 24 years ago! Many more patients live with melanoma than die from melanoma, something that couldn't be said 10 years ago!

There is a 95% chance that you will have no further problem after your Wide Local Excision so the odds are in your favour. Also, don't stress about your other moles. It's very rare that someone has two melanomas at the same time - it's also uncommon for someone to have another melanoma a long time after the initial one. But to give peace of mind the consultant will check your other moles at your check up appointments. Don't be scared to point any out that are worrying you. Over the years I've had 7 moles removed - some because I wasn't happy with them & some that the consultant wasn't happy about - all of them were benign! 

Good luck with your surgery. I will send you a friend request so that we can chat by private message if that helps,

Angie