Hi,

I can understand your anxiety and I hope I can help to calm your worries a little.

75% of patients referred to dermatology are given a clean bill of health. Your GP is erring on the side of caution and letting the experts examine your mole which is the right thing to do. If it is melanoma and it has spread you would certainly know about it! If it had spread to your lymphatic system you would find a lump in the nearest lymph nodes to the mole (usually the groin if the mole is on your leg, the groin or armpit if it's on your torso, the armpit or neck if it's on your upper torso or head). If it had spread beyond this, to a major organ, brain or spine, you would have pain that would be increasing as time went on. 

If the mole has only changed slightly it may well be fine. The fact you first noticed a change 4 years ago doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be worse if it is melanoma. Sometimes patients can leave it for a long time yet the melanoma only grow very little so don't beat yourself up about it. Be kind to yourself, take stock but don't let your fears run away with you before you know what you're dealing with. Hopefully the dermatologist can put your mind at rest but don't panic if it turns out to be melanoma. Treatments are showing great success these days & things are looking much more optimistic for melanoma patients. I've been a Stage 3 patient for 10 years & I'm still here with no sign of the disease. 

When you go to your appointment take someone with you - a second pair of ears is always good in case you miss some of the information. Good luck and please let us know how you get on,

Angie