suspicious mole now awaiting referral

[twolinesplease]

Just wondering if anybody else has had any experience at dermatology for a skin mole? I've got to admit I'm bricking it
It's been there for as long as I can remember but in the past couple of months it's gotten darker, raised, hard and occasionally itchy. GP said referral wasn't urgent which pacified me momentarily now I wish it was and I could hurry up and get it sorted.
Heeeellpp!! Hand holding required please.

[Helenluvsrob]

Phone Gp and day you'd like the referral proscessing urgently under the 2week wait criteria as a suspected melanoma.

Otherwise what are they suspecting / why are you being referred ?

The take a deep breath knowing everything can be done is being done and the what ifs do not need worrying about unless there is actually a problem.

GPs refer lots of pigmented lesions it's still very rare to find a cancer.

[twolinesplease]

Thanks Helen letter came in the post today for an appointment for 8 weeks time

[wearymum73]

I had the same problem with a mole as you, first I got a appointment to get my mile photographed, then I saw a specialist 4 weeks after that, so 12 weeks in total.
At the first appointment, they said it looked fine, same colour and no spread edges.
Then at the n pest appointment he said the moles where fine, the itching was due to the hair re-growth, the mole had 3 hairs growing inside of it.
Don't worry, the doctors know what a dodgy mile looks like, and if they were worried you would be fast tracked.

[scotsgirl64]

if GP was worried then you would be referred as 'Urgent suspected cancer' which needs to be seen within 2 weeks , so if you're appointment is 8 weeks I really wouldn't worry...I had a suspicious mole removed by my GP who also does dermatology clinics at hospital a month ago and i understand how nervous you must be

[RoobyTuesday]

I don't want to scare you as chances are it's fine and yes I'm sure your GP isn't worried but a mole that has changed which has features of melanoma (raised, itchy ) should be seen under the two week rule according to guidelines. Would you feel comfortable ringing the GP and saying upon reflection you'd like to know why it doesn't warrant a two week referral? There might be a good reason but on the info you've given in this post I would of have thought a two week referral would be more appropriate. My opinion here is only based on my own experience of having a mole removed last year. Deematology clinics tend to be so busy that a routine appointment can take weeks to months so if you are in anyway worried I think you should ask your GP to clarify for you.

[twolinesplease]

Thank you for the replies.
Rooby that's what I had thought re: changes to the mole!?! Would ethnicity make a difference??
I shall call the gp tomorrow and see what my chances are of an urgent referral. To make it worse I miscalculated and its actually 9 weeks to the appointment . Somebody pass the vino please

[RoobyTuesday]

Hi OP not sure about ethnicity - wouldn't of thought it made a difference. I hope you a managed to get an answer today, you can always ask to see another GP if not.

[twolinesplease]

Gp has changed the referral for urgent with the two week wait. Nervous wait now for the appointment to come through.

[twolinesplease]

The hospital called I have an appointment next Monday I've now gone into full health anxiety mode and am googling all sorts of worse case scenarios

[RoobyTuesday]

Try and reassure yourself that moles can change without being melanoma - in fact in every hospital in the country there will be a weekly clinic in dermatology which is dedicated to the two week referrals - out of all those patients seen every week only a small proportion will have anything serious. And worse case scenario if it did turn out to be melanoma it will have been caught very early and so treatment is going to be very successful. After I had a mole removed last year suddenly loads of my friends and relatives started to panic about miles that they had which had changed or grown and immediately went to their GP's - all of them were seen in dermatology and all were fine. Hope it all goes well, try and stay away from Google!

[lljkk]

I have moles that go itchy, grow big, crusty, flake off. Completely benign. Fecking ugly until they are ready to pick off. This repeats every few yrs. Only started up after I was 25 or so. Most weird skin growths are benign so try not to worry pointlessly.

[FiveShelties]

I have just seen my GP today and have been referred under the Urgent Two Week system - was a bit of a shock as I only went to stop my husband from nagging!

[twolinesplease]

Thanks rooby I'm getting a grip on things. I'll get worried if they tell me something to worry about next week. Do you know if it will be removed the same day?
Five I feel your pain ** I'm here to hold you hand. PM me if you need to.

[FiveShelties]

Thanks twolinesplease you are very kind. No I don't know anything - I did not think to ask, I was a little taken aback to be honest! I wonder if the hospital will ring me???

[scotsgirl64]

it may well be removed on the day, so don't worry unnecessarily about this...(it will be done under local anaesthetic tho so don't worry...I didn't feel a thing when had a mole removed on my back a month ago)..hope all goes well. I have dozens of moles and was getting a bit worried about the one on my back as it had grown and I couldn't examine it very easily...came back as benign transitional naevus

[MackerelOfFact]

Please try not to worry. At your appointment, they will most likely take a biopsy - either a shaving or by removing the whole thing. Results make take a few weeks to come back but will confirm if it's a melanoma, a low-risk carcinoma, or completely benign. Most moles aren't skin cancer, most skin cancer isn't melanoma, and most melanoma is caught at an early stage - so the odds are in your favour. :)

[RoobyTuesday]

I had a biopsy on the day and results were back two weeks later and they got me back in very quickly to have a full excision. I don't think they can remove it all on the day as they have to have clear margins which means they have to have it confirmed by the lab that all the abnormal cells have been removed. But this will be different depending on biopsy results etc. Either way you will be sorted very quickly.

[twolinesplease]

Thanks for all your support MN I'm feeling more informed and calmer now I know what to possibly expect. I'll keep you posted

[twolinesplease]

Fiveshelties did you hear from your hospital yet?

[FiveShelties]

twolinesplease - yes I just heard tonight - they rang at 6pm. Appt is 9am on Wednesday - very quick.

I will be thinking of you on Monday, with my fingers tightly crossed.

[LuluJakey1]

I went with one on my leg and was given an appointment at the melanoma clinic for 4 days later. They looked at it and Dr said it was nothing immediately. Asked if I wanted him to remove it, I said not if it was nothing. That was that.
Have been agan with another one on my arm - am very fair-skinned. Again, said immediately it was nothing but removed it because of where it was.
Very quick and reassuring.

[Guiltypleasures001]

Hi op

I had a mole that doubled in size and became very raised and got very black

It was behind my ear, so hard to see really but rough to the touch

Doc said it had all five points to fast referral saw within a week, doc looked said it all
Fine no worries, was a mess totally stresses.

And then bugger me it fell of 2 weeks later and barely a pink bit of skin where it had been
I kid you not.

[twolinesplease]

Quick update: Well I was in and out of the appointment today within 20 minutes the consultant was ruthless and made me feel very small  she examined the offending mole and said it was nothing, refused to consider removing it saying that the scar would be large and the mole would most likely just grow back so it would be a waste of time. If I wanted to have it removed I will have to go private. When questioned about the changes in shape, colour and the itching she responded by saying sometimes it just happens! I can't say I was particularly pleased with her responses but have to believe that she knows what she is looking for and that my mole was not it.
She ended the consultation by advising me that she'd would write to me and gp and I would then have all the technical terms if I wanted to google them!! Outrageous ...

[ChemistryHunt]

I went through the same as you this time last year. I had a mole (blue one) that had always been there. Then it developed a dark area, went rock hard like a frozen pea in size and itched.

Mine was removed but was completely benign.

So even with all of those changes hey can still be fine!

He dermatologist will see loads of moles every week and will know what they are looking for.

Also they were right about the scar, mine is much bigger than the mole ever was.

[Mumto2boys1984]

I'm on my own with two boys aged 8&10, my hubby works away so only comes home at the weekend. Basically ive had a mole/lesion on my foot for years but ive only really started paying attention to it recently. Came back from holiday two weeks ago and i thought it looked darker and bigger but im not sure its always kinda been an irregular shape. Phoned to see my doctor on thursday but on holiday, other doctor seen me on monday(yesterday) so was 4 days waiting just to be seen by my gp. Anyway seen for like 5 minutes, examined it with a magnifying glass. Then said we'll get you referred they'll examine properlly with there dermascope etc, i'll make it urgent. I was a nervous wreck while waiting to see him now i felt worse!! I asked him what do you think? He said it doesnt look highly suspicious. But you'll get seen in the coming weeks as mole are a matter of urgency nowadays. Ive since been having panick attacks bouts of hysterical crying and convinced myself that all my moles are now canerous if its not this one it will be another!! Kids school holidays have bedn totally ruined now!