Waiting mole biopsy

Hi, I am 32, married with 4 children. I am a nervous wreck waiting for biopsy of mole that was taken last week. 

I was concerned about a large raised mole on my chest that has gone dry and black in the middle. The Dr referred me for a 2 week wait app which I had last week. 

At the dermatologist appointment she reassured me that the mole on my chest is fine, just looks a bit irritated.

My body is full of moles so she offered to check other moles. She was very focused on this familiar 'Mole' on my back. I say familiar because it's a very odd looking thing that I went to the dermatologist about, around 8 years ago!!! I went 8 years ago because it was a dodgy looking mole that was very dark with very jagged borders. The derm back then said it was a 'wart' and nothing to be worried about. That's all I was told. 

People have commented on it over the years. Last year, a stranger approached me on a night out and said he was a Gp and I should get it checked out!! My reply as always, 'oh it's fine, it's a wart'. It does get itchy but I've always been reassured that it was just a wart. 

Anyway.. Last week when the dermatologist was having a good look at this mole, I got a bit anxious and asked if it was a wart. She replied No, it's a mole. I got very distressed. I was panicking, I have dismissed this dodgy looking thing for years because I was told it was a wart! Over the years it has developed reds and whites in some lights. She asked another derm to check it out and they booked me into surgery to have it removed straight away. 

I have just got to wait now.

I feel so anxious. I feel angry. I'm worrying if it is cancerous, I've had it a long time and it might be too late and things may have progressed too far. 

Kirstie. 

  • Hi Kirstie,

    I know how anxious you must be, especially now you find out that it's a mole & it needs removing after all this time. I hope I can help calm your fears a little by saying that, if your mole turns out to be melanoma it doesn't mean it's been cancerous all that time. It may well be a dysplastic mole (pre-cancerous) - these look dodgy but aren't melanoma. Or it could be a dysplastic mole that has turned cancerous more recently. If it has been cancerous for a few years you would have experienced symptoms of it having spread by now and you would be very ill.

    The waiting is the hardest when going through this so try and keep busy to distract yourself from dwelling on it. You can't change anything at the moment so you have to try & find a way to get through the days. Once you have had it removed you will have a further wait for the results so I suggest you find something that helps you to relax and keep calm - I try listening to a meditation or mindfulness CD or there are plenty to check out on You Tube. Yoga, Tai Chi, a long walk in the fresh air, anything that can lower your heart rate and calm your worries, if only for a short time, will help.

    75% of people referred to dermatology get a clean bill of health so the odds are good that your mole will just be a dodgy looking mole. The dermatologist won't know for sure what it is until the biopsy comes back - they can be wrong sometimes (I've had 8 moles removed, 1 was melanoma but 7 were benign)!

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

    Angie (Melanoma patient)

  • Thank you for your reply Angie. It's been a week since they removed it so another few weeks now, I will definitely try meditation. 

    I will let you know my results. 

    Kirstie.