Hi everyone,
I had a new mole appear very suddenly 2 weeks ago, went to the GP and he asked me to monitor it, which I have done and it made some quite significant changes over the last 2 weeks (shadowing disappeared, borders blurred then dots in the middle) photographed all this and sent it in to my GP and he called me this morning to make an urgent 2 week referral, however now it looks like its disappearing?! Its shrunk from 5mm to about 2mm and faded quite significantly. So because of this my GP has decided to ask me to monitor it for another 2 weeks instead then go back and see him.
Has anyone ever encountered anything like this? I'm so confused at such rapid changes, I made the mistake of googling and read an article that melanoma's can regress but the cancer can still be present which is freaking me out!
Does anyone know what the likelihood of a melanoma mole shrinking/disappearing actually is? Especially in such short time frames? Desperate for my mind to be put at rest :(
New moles can appear and disappear at any time up to age 40. However, if they look unusual or you are over 40 there is a chance it could be melanoma. Cancerous moles can regress but still cause problems internally, however it's very uncommon.
Try not to worry too much - keep monitoring it and taking photos. If your GP prevaricates about referring you I would push to see a dermatologist for your own peace of mind.
Hi, I had a mole a few days ago that I was shocked to see. I immediately made a Dr's appointment. Luckily I did take photos, otherwise I would have thought I had gone completely mad! It disappeared completely taking with it two smaller moles. I am miffed. The Dr said she cannot refer me as there isn't anything to see and remove. Is there anyway I can tell what is going on inside my body please? I understand that they cannot see with the naked eye anything where the mole has been, but any idea on getting checked out through blood tests etc? I should add this very same thing happened to me a week or so ago too.
Sadly, melanoma doesn't show up in blood tests - Australia are currently researching a new blood test that hopefully will be able to do this.
As I said above, it's not unusual for young people to get new moles and for moles to disappear. If a new mole suddenly appears and then disappears quickly I doubt it's anything serious. However, if you want to try & take it further the only thing I can suggest is that you pay for a private consultation with a dermatologist and take the photos to show them. Hopefully they can put your mind at rest.
Hi - I'd be interested to hear how you have progressed one year on. I am having exactly the same issue. One small and one slightly larger mole appeared a couple of months ago. The larger one became itchy, then scabby but now has all but disappeared although there is still significant skin discolouration. I am undecided as to whether to keep my doctor's appointment because l now feel like a fraud and don't want to waste anyone's time but equally am worried about what's going on underneath. Any suggestions?
Still keep the appointment even if there is little to see now because, should it reappear or another new one grow elsewhere that behaves the same, your medical record will show you've had a previous problem mole. If this happens again in the future it then helps the GP determine if you need referring to a dermatologist. It's also a good idea to photograph any problem mole so that, if it changes or disappears, you have a record of what it looked like.
I am interested to hear how you got on. I had an mole that was itching for 12 months or so and had no idea this was anything to worry about. It's only when another one appeared and I mentioned it to a friend that they told me to get it checked. By this time though, the original mole went away.
I went to the GP on Monday and I have an urgent referral to the dermatologist on 31st but interested to see what your experience was if you don't mind sharing.
