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

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 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

I went to the chiropodist 30 July for the usual foot care  and he asked if I knew about the lesion under my foot between my toes and the ball of my foot and advised me to se my GP, Which I did and got a appointment to go for photos the 11 Aug at the Hospital. The photographer struggled to take a picture because of where the lesion is  but did take several after help from her manager and now I've been sent a appointment to go to the hospital on the 8 Sept and allow up to 3 hours for the appointment.. I was wondering if anyone else had a lesion there it seems most people have a mole which I haven't. Any advice would be very welcome 

Nug68

Hi,

It's good that your chiropodist pointed this out - more & more in the beauty/care industry are being trained to look for unusual lesions so well done to them.

Any lesion or mole on the sole of the foot is treated as suspicious as it's an unusual place for one to appear. I think they may be going to remove it (if told to allow 3 hours for your appointment) because melanoma doesn't always present as a pigmented lesion (mole) so they are acting on the safe side. I've had moles & lesions (small, red or flesh coloured lumps on the skin) removed from different parts of my body, including the sole of my foot. Only the first, a mole on my shin, was malignant. So hopefully this is a precautionary procedure and yours will turn out to be benign. 

If your appointment letter doesn't say if surgery is involved I would give them a ring and check. An excision on the sole of the foot means you have to rest up for at least 48 hours, keep off your feet & keep it elevated, so you may need to plan your week around it.

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

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

Hi AngieT

Thank you for your advice . My partner doesn't want to talk about it and says stop worrying but that's easy said . I am struggling to get to sleep since I had a letter saying they want me to go to the main hospital and allow up to 3 hrs for my appointment , which makes me thing they are pretty certain it's bad news . My son died 2018 at the same hospital of Sepsis after a operation and all the pain of losing my son has returned .I will try and keep busy and try not to think the worst 2 weeks today  before I have to go.Thank you for sharing your story and knowledge with me . I will let you know how I get on ️

I'm sorry for the loss of your son and that you can't talk to your partner about your worry. It's a lot to deal with. But please know that the 3 hours quoted is probably because they are going to remove it and until they do, they won't definitely know if it's malignant. So it's not until the biopsy results come back in a few weeks that you will know for sure. There is still a good chance that it will come back benign so try not to focus on it at the moment. xx

I have the same situation as the original poster. I hsve had a very dark mole on my lower abdomen since i was a kid. And then a few weeks ago i noticed it had started to lighten in colour, now has a sort of halo border around it and it now has a slightly rogher texture. I made a request for my doctors online last Monday and the doctor finally called me today at 9am asked me about the changes and asked if i could get there straight away so she could look at it.

Obviously this worried me and so i asked my boss for time off and she let me go straight away. The doctor had a look at it with a magnifying device and said she was getting me an urgent referral to a dermatologist and that i would get a phone call within the next 2 weeks to get an appointment.

I'm trying not to worry but it's really hard and i hate the waiting. My sister says it is probably nothing but they have to check as a precaution. And i know she is right but it's still going to be playing on my mind till i see the specialist. We have had lots of different cancers in my family so obviously i panic a lot. And today is the 6 year anniversary of my mother's death from cancer so it wasn't the type of news i wanted to hear today.

Anyway, i just needed to get it all out to people that have been in my situation. Thanks for reading. Fingers crossed i hear about an appointment soon!

I went for my 3hr apointment  to the hospital on the 8/9/21 and the dematologist wasn't sure what the lesion was on my foot,i was exspecting him to say it's ok and there was nothing to worry about.He thought it might be a mole but wasn't certain so he said he would like me to have a Punch biopsy so i had one done while i was there .This just takes a small circle hole in the lesion , followed by dissolvable stitches it doesn't hurt in fact the local anesthetic hurts more than the punch.I had a holiday booked 9 days later and did a lot of walking with no problem ,the biggest problem was having a shower so has not to get the wound wet..Its a waiting game again now,ive been told it takes 3/4 weeks for the results so ive been waiting 19 days .Fingers crossed i get good news

Hi 

Hope you all don't mind me jumping on this thread. 
I'm so worried and don't know where else to turn too. 
I found what appeared to be a blood blister on the back of my thigh last week. Over the weekend it went black and changed massively. I saw my GP yesterday who showed concern said it isn't a blood blister. He used some kind of device to check in out and immediately put me on 2 week urgent referral. 
last night it started to bleed and has continued to on and off. 
Im beginning to feel like I'm wasting nhs time. 
Do I still go for the appointment or do I leave it and assume it was a blood blister after all?

im not sure what to do anymore

Thabks for any advice Annie x

Hi 

Hope you all don't mind me jumping on this thread. 
I'm so worried and don't know where else to turn too. 
I found what appeared to be a blood blister on the back of my thigh last week. Over the weekend it went black and changed massively. I saw my GP yesterday who showed concern said it isn't a blood blister. He used some kind of device to check in out and immediately put me on 2 week urgent referral. 
last night it started to bleed and has continued to on and off. 
Im beginning to feel like I'm wasting nhs time. 
Do I still go for the appointment or do I leave it and assume it was a blood blister after all?

im not sure what to do anymore

Thabks for any advice Annie x

Hi Annie , 

so sorry to hear you are going through so much worry .

I would definitely go to your appointment , it will put your mind at rest . 
I had doubts about my lesion under my foot been a problem and kidded myself it was nothing  so was very surprised when after my photos were looked at the hospital I had to go back and they did a punch biopsy , I am waiting for the results of the biopsy with fingers crossed but so glad I went for my appointment, you have nothing to loose . The staff are amazing and put you at ease straight away 

Best of luck let us know how you get on xxx

I am 39. My mom was diagnosed with Melonoma when she turned 40. I have had a mole on my left arm for as long as I can remember. I don't ever feel like it had changed, it was always a little irregular and always a little raised. 
 

in July time it crusted over a little but healed and then didn't change again.  No itching, bleeding, scratching or anything. 
 

It was playing on my mind a little so I sent a photo to my Doctor in September. She rang to say it looked a little irregular and, as a result, was sending me for some images to be taken. 
 

That happened 2 weeks later. 4 weeks after I had a call from the consultant to say that due to family history they are going to remove the mole as an urgent case. 
 

backlogs meant a further 6 weeks passed and on Friday I had it removed. 

I am PETRIFIED. I am not sleeping, over eating, shaky, scared. Does anyone have any guidance on how long ir will be before they get in touch? 
 

I know it's going to be bad news. I'm just scared about how bad. 
 

if I look back at photos it definitely has been the same since about 2018. Before that it was definitely there but I can't tell by the photos whether it was exactly the same. 

Hi

I am in a similar position to Sophie (original poster).  I went to the Dr with a dodgy looking mole on my left boob - I wasn't too worried about it as have had it for ever.  The Dr then urgently referred me, a week later I was with the dermotologist and then 2 days later I got a phone call asking me to go in to get it taken off.  That was 3 weeks ago today and today I received a phone call asking me to go in on Monday (8th November) for an appointment.  I am absolutely beside myself.  I am so anxious, thinking it must be the worse news if they want to see me.  Your comments above have helped me allay that somewhat but still so worried.  I am with you [@Nug68]‍ - I am assuming its going to be bad news - its spread - I am terminal.  Can't get myself out of this thought process.  The excision only took 20 mins which I am trying to think is positive - clutching at straws here!

However, what I would like to say is you guys are all amazing - so supportive and kind.  Your words have really helped.  Thank you x

Had the appointment.  It was a melanoma unfortunately but in-situ so has been completely removed.  I have to go for a wide excision on Tuesday to remove some more skin just to be bullet proof.  Feeling quite shocked by the whole thing and also incredibly lucky that it was caught so early.

I'm currently in the uncomfortable waiting part of being referred. I noticed black lines on my toe nail 3 months ago and I ignored it thinking it was a bruise. 

I then thought a few months later it must be a fungal infection since it spread more so used some over the counter fungal treatment. Didn't go away! Just spread more and now it's all different colours of black/brown!

I went to the doctors and have been referred on the two week wait suspected cancer list, to say I'm freaking out is an understatement. I'm hating myself for leaving it 3 months.

the doctor has mentioned subungual melanoma and I will need a biopsy.

it's November 12th and my appointment is on November 24th, this two weeks is a painful wait!

im only 23 and I've never really had any health concerns before! I'm grateful for this forum to speak to people going through the same thing, it's reassuring!

Hi,

I also am in the same situation as you. Diagnosed with 1A Melanoma on Monday, having my WLE this coming Monday. 
Then just 3 monthly check ups. Feeling positive, it's been caught nice and early and dealt with extremely quickly. 

Hi,

I went to my GP week gone today as have mole on my stomach which is flat and noticed it's became very itchy, just the mole it's self?

My GP looked at and said doesn't think anything sinister but took photographs and said would refer as margins were out and because of the itchiness.

I was told they would either want to see me in person or if they thought things were ok by the photographs they would send advice to my GP surgery.

I received a letter last Friday to say I have an appointment tomorrow 17/02 and it's got me so worried with being so quick.

fingers crossed it's nothing.

Has anyone else received an appointment as quick as this and been ok?

TIA