Hi,

Please try to not read too much into the manner that results are given. It's not the case that good or bad news are given in different ways, it's entirely up to how the consultant likes to communicate with their patients. Most consultants prefer to give news, good or bad, in person, especially if surgery has been done & they can check it's healing well & they may want to check the patient over for any other concerning signs (moles, nail lines, lumps & bumps). Also, it's easier to give more complex information face to face than in a letter or on the phone. Your consultant will be explaining the findings of both your biopsies so you then have the opportunity to ask questions which you can't do by letter or on the other end of the phone at work or in the car!

You don't mention the location of the cyst and how long you have had it? If it was on the same limb as the toe nail, especially close to it, then the surgeon is trying to ensure that any possible connection between the two can be ruled out. That being said, it would be highly unusual for a suspected sebaceous gland carcinoma to be connected to a suspected subungual melanoma. Subungual melanoma is a different type of skin cancer and patients with the other types of cancer on the skin hardly ever have cancer under the nail. So hopefully the two won't be connected but they have to rule everything out to be sure.

Hopefully the results for both procedures will be benign but try not to worry & good luck at your appointment. Please let us know how you get on,

Angie (Stage 3 melanoma patient since 2009)

Thank you for replying Angie. I'm hoping my results appt comes through soon, it's just over a fortnight since I had my biopsy so hopefully it'll be soon. All the keeping me in suspense is driving me mad.

Sharon