I have convinced myself I have skin cancer

[Scheherezadea]

Watching This Morning yesterday and they did a skin cancer special. At first I didn't pay much attention, as all the marks they were pointing out were ugly and red and blotchy. Then the nurse said you had to keep an eye if you are a female on dark brown freckle-type spots!

PANIC

I have a freckle in between my toes. I think it has got larger the past year. I'd say it is 0.5cm long, oval in shape. Just dark brown, maybe a little dot of black in teh middle, but that could just be the skin wrinkle. Went on holiday and got v.tanned last year, and year before. Probably didn't pay enough attention to my feet with the sunscreen!

I've built myself up into a mild state of panic about it. GPs on't have any appointments left for today, offered me one tomorrow morning but I have a hospital apmt for 20 week scan then!

Should I demand emergency apmt, though it's not really an emergency - it's not going to change in 24 hours, or wait till I get home tomorrow?

[Punkatheart]

I don't think it is an emergency but get it checked asap for your peace of mind.

You are doing the right thing - it will put your mind at rest. Even in the worst instance - you can have moles or freckles removed. There are many stages: basal cell carcinoma and then melanoma being the two later ones. It may simply not be either of those but just skin change...

[Salmotrutta]

Don't demand the emerg appointment - one day will not make a difference

Please try not to worry as many of these things turn out to be benign things such as keratoses or whatever.

If your GP thinks it at least needs looked at by a dermatologist do not panic!!

It really could be one of many things!

[Zimm]

Bless you, my DP is like you! Ermm between your toes would be a bizarre place to get skin cancer! I think they have to 1cm/ragged edge to be of any real concern - or to have sudden changes, not changes over a year. Make a appointment (not an emergency one, then YABU as these are needed for emergencies) with your regular doc, get it checked and you will be reassured.

And YABU to watch This Morning - full of scares like this :-)

[lazarusb]

Wait till you get home tomorrow and book an appointment. Ask at the Hospital if you are really worried. (I know it's not the done thing). Don't panic - it's likely to be nothing and if your GP wants to biopsy it, it's a very simple process.
Good luck x

[Punkatheart]

I disagree that This Morning is scaremongering. Awareness is important. Early diagnosis is important.

I agree that removal is very simple.

[Scheherezadea]

Haha - I did actually laugh out loud then. Thanks!

TBF I am 21 weeks pregnant, I am allowed to get irrational like this. And I am not normally the hysterical type.

It has definately grown, it wasn't there a few years ago, my DP pointed it out, and it has grown the past year, but not significantly in a short space of time. It's not right in between my toes, but then I was thinking - people get skin cancer on their lower backs, but usually burn on their shoulders, so that doesn't mean there is a correlation between location of cancer spot and place where you burned, does it?!

Will stick it out until tomorrow. All sorts of horrible thoughts are running through my head like "I can't have radiation, what about the baby - maybe they'll make me abort it and I'll die anyway!"

Arrrghhhhh.

[Scheherezadea]

Biopsy between toes - ouch :(

[Scheherezadea]

p.s. I am not a sun seeker - and do wear sunscree non holidays. plus I am half-middle eastern, so I have wierd skin that is naturally fair but goes olive instantly on stepping outside after March.


(Will be posting incessantly on MN until I can get an apmt. It's a gorgeous day outside, and I'm too scared to sit in our lovely country cottage garden because I can't find the suncream!)

[lazarusb]

I had a rapid growing mole just under my eye when dc3 was just 4 months old. By the time I got the all clear I'd sorted out Trust funds, life insurance and more or less planned my funeral.

As I said, it's more likely to be nothing - stop panicking, enjoy your scan and relax

[Salmotrutta]

A biopsy is very simple and straight forward - they don't just lunge at you with a big knife. They will give you a local

That said - the GP may take a quick look and say it's fine/say he thinks it's fine but better safe than sorry - so he'll refer you/say he's not sure and better safe than sorry - so he'll refer you.

[Bucharest]

Go and get it checked for your peace of mind.

Dp has an appt next week to do just that, (been nagging him for months, but what with him being a man and all....) He's got one on the side of his nose.

Odd moles on feet are supposed to be kept a particular eye on btw. (I've got one on the sole of my foot, that my Mum is always going on about)

[Scheherezadea]

What's the difference between a mole and a freckle? I mean I just thought of it as a freckle until yesterday, though it's bigger than my other odd freckles I have dotted about. It's not raised.

[IprivateI]

Get yourself to a doctor woman. A freckle between the toes is strange.

[Scheherezadea]

Urgh, just googled foot skin cancer. Going to vomit. Picture of someone with a melanoma that looks like mine. Survival rate 1 in 2.

Feel s oill.

[HattiFattner]

first, dont panic.

Moles do grow over your whole life - I have one on my shoulder that appeared during pregnancy with dc3. This is normal.

Follow the abcd of moles:

Asymetry....is it a funny shape, bigger on one side that the other?
Border - is it regular and smooth or wriggly?
Colour-is it all one colour, or mottled? Is ot the same colour as your other moles?
Diameter - is it bigger than the rubber on the top of a pencil?

I would say ask for a non urgent appointment. Its probably nothing, but if it has a black centre, then you are hiting a snag in "C" -colour.

If the GP is worried, s/he will send you to a dermatologist, who will look at ALL your moles.

I had a mole on the back of my leg that had a black spot - had it removed and tested (tiny 2cm cut). A week later, I had a call to go back and they cut again as I had a "pre-melanoma" - a mole that is more likely to turn into melanoma than regular moles.

[Scheherezadea]

Sorry - I booked the emergency. I just feel really really petrified and scared after a stupid google search. Will thank the receptionists and GP lots. I'm just not going to be able to sleep or go to my scan tomorrow

[Scheherezadea]

Sorry, I know an emergency is stupid, I'm just sat sobbing!

[Punkatheart]

For God's sake stop googling. Stop thinking about melanoma. Just stop thinking!

For peace of mind, you can have a mole map made up - to keep an eye on all of your moles....

[Tillyscoutsmum]

I have lots of moles/freckles and have been referred a few times for "dodgy" ones.

Sudden changes are the biggest indicator of something to worry about. Sudden in these terms means a major change within 8 weeks. Its also worth remembering that hormones in pregnancy can cause moles to develop and grow. I've got probably twice as many post pregnancies than I did before.

Definitely worth getting it checked out but try not to panic (I appreciate saying that won't do any good AT ALL )

[Scheherezadea]

Thanks everyone. Feel daft for going for the emergency, but if I can't get an apmt tomorrow (and it will have to be after 2, and I just KNOW they won't have any left then) then I'll have to wait the weekend, and I can't have this hanging over me.

Urghhhhh.

[Scheherezadea]

Is my 1st child so everything is very new to me!

[Scheherezadea]

Sorry I have one today at 4.10pm. Got to wait an hour. I just can't wait till next week - can't have one tomorrow as am at hospital for scan, then it's the weekend.

FFS it's not fair.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Bless you, you are very sensible for getting it checked, but try to slow down and STOP googling.

Fwiw, 3 weeks ago a mole that I have only had for a year suddenly changed getting bigger and firmer and darker, I saw a dp very quickly and was sent to the hospital on the two week check service.

All this time I was convinced I would be dead before the end of the year, kept crying, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep.

Anyhoo, attended the hospital appointment and it's not even a sodding mole, it's a venous papule or something, totally nothing, felt like a twat.