Hi Sophie,

I know how anxious you must be, being referred & it happening so quickly. Your GP has been great in dealing with you so promptly & the 2 week referral is standard for a mole that looks suspicious. Your referral appointment is also happening slightly quicker than usual because only referrals are being seen face to face at the moment - regular check up appointments for melanoma patients are being done over the phone because of Covid, so there is more time for the dermatologist to see new referrals.

You have been given good advice as to what may happen if the dermatologist thinks the mole needs removing for a biopsy. If it needs removing, it's usually done at a different appointment & it's done as a day surgery patient. Can I just add that 75% of people referred to dermatology are given a clean bill of health, either at the referral appointment or after biopsy results are received. A couple of recent posts on this forum have been from people in your position & their biopsies have come back clear, so the odds are in your favour.

If it should turn out to be melanoma it will depend on how deep the melanoma has grown as to what treatment happens next. If early stage, like SDG3, only routine check ups will be necessary for a short period of time. If later stage, further surgery & drug treatment may be necessary, but that only occurs in a small number of new referrals.

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

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient) 

Thankyou SDG3 and AngieT for your thoughtful replies - I am sorry to hear of both of your diagnoses. 

I think I am a bit in shock as my partner (rightly or wrongly) had tried to convince me it was nothing so I attended the appointment perhaps a bit naive as to what the outcome of it would be. I’m still not really sure he entirely understands the possible severity of this. I’m also presuming he can’t come with me to the appointment due to COVID restrictions. 

Do you know if they’ll take a look at other moles? I don’t have many which is partly why I have the referral as the one on my shoulder looks completely out of place. Do they also tell you there and then what they suspect it is?

Thankyou both for taking the time to reply x

Hi Angie, 

yes unfortunately I believe this is the case for us in N.ireland. When I first went to the GP they sent an urgent referral and told me I would be seen within two weeks.. four weeks passed and I heard nothing so I rang the appointments line at the hospital and they told me I would have to wait a year to be seen and would only be seen sooner if my GP red flagged by case. Luckily my GP did and I was seen within two weeks back in April.

When I spoke to the consultant they told me I would need the mole removed and tested and I would have to wait between 6-9months for this to happen due to covid 19 but to try not to worry (easier said than done). Two days later I got a phone call from the hospital to ask if I could be down within the hour to have the mole removed and of course I jumped in the car and went straight down.

When they removed the mole at the start of May I asked when I should have the results and they just said it will probably be 12weeks due to covid19. It's been 4weeks and I'm not even sure if I should be expecting a phone call or a letter for my results so I'm just a ball of nerves thinking the worst. But I will keep use informed as soon as I find out and wish you all the very best x x 

Hello everyone, 

This post has been very helpful for me. I am 25 and my boyfriend noticed a new mole on my shoulder/back last Sunday ( 30th August). I sent images to my GP that day and they asked me to give them a call. I called them on Tuesday and went through a series of questions. They told me they would refer me to the dermatologist within 2 weeks. The dermatologist called me on the Friday morning and told me I have an appointment on the following Tuesday (today).

I have started to get a little nervous now as they got me in so quickly and called me a few times on the Friday. I am trying not to worry myself too much, but I am a worrier by nature. It was great to read that other people, like Sophie, were going through the same thoughts and feelings that I am. 

My appointment is in less than 2 hours. Wish me luck! 

Hi Bella 

My results came back as clear too but it has made me think that urgency to get you in doesn't always correlate with the outcome! Even though at the time I didn't think that way at all...!

Hope it goes well! Xx

P.s so glad to hear your results were clear Sophie! I'd been following this thread but hadn't any notifications but just seen the updates. 

Hello again everyone,

My appointment was yesterday and I'm so relieved that it is over. All the staff at the hospital were wonderful.

The doctor didn't seem to think it was cancerous but took images and removed it just in case. I had the removal done there and then and now I'm just waiting for the results. 

Thanks for all your kind words 

Good luck Bella. Hopefully you won't be waiting long for the results and they come back fine xx

So pleased you got the result you were after Sophie.

Im currently going through the same situation,had a mole checked and had an urgent appointment with a dermatologist. She checked it under a Dermoscope,said nothing to worry about.

Still it's been 5 days,I've got to wait 2 weeks for my results and I'm already climbjng the walls with stress and anxiety. Google doesn't do me no good either!!!

I'm in the same boat Flyingcatfish.

Had mine removed on the 21st. I feel like waiting for the results are all I think about at the minute! x

It's the worst isn't it! Think I feel worse now than at any point I went to rhe doctor's.  Should have just left them on and forgott about them  

Hope you get your results soon. Counting down the days.

Hi Sophie, 

Thank you for sharing your story, my daughter is 9 and I have found a mole that has changed in size and colour. I sent a photo to gp who then asked us to go down a day later and now he's made a referral. Just like you I have spent days over thinking it all and in a constant battle trying to reassure myself. But I read your posts feeling just like this and am so happy to read all is benign x

Hi Sophie, 

Thank you for sharing your story, my daughter is 9 and I have found a mole that has changed in size and colour. I sent a photo to gp who then asked us to go down a day later and now he's made a referral. Just like you I have spent days over thinking it all and in a constant battle trying to reassure myself. But I read your posts feeling just like this and am so happy to read all is benign x

Hi I'm going through same thing with my nearly 3 year old girl.. With dodgy mole on her scalp that is two different colours, not symmetrical, blurred borders. Sent pic into gp and phoned for me to come in. Took pics sent off to dermatology. They requested to see my little girl. We saw dermatologist who was look at it, then phoned another dermatologist to come look at it. Mentioned had white streaks in it? They took pics and measurements for now, but to keep on on it till next a in few months. As apparently will leave scarring. But said any changes to ring straight away. Took pic obviously when I sent to gp, took today. Definitely see big change in mole. Dark bit grown into the tan area of the mole.. So worrying. Ringing dermatologist tomorrow. Tammy xx