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Original poster

Moles and urgent appointment

16 replies

Anonymousemouses · 22/07/2025 16:11

DH saw the GP for a couple of moles a few weeks ago (I actually had a thread and photos on here before that).

The moles in question were deemed fine, but he noticed some moles in the shoulder we hadn't noticed. He thought they were ink spot moles, but couldn't be sure.

DH had an appointment today to take dermascope photos to be assessed by AI and other photos.

No sooner had we got home we received a phone call asking him to go back for a face to face in two weeks.

DH said he Southend as we are away that week, so they scheduled it for three weeks

I'm really worried. Mainly as the leaflet they gave us said if the photos saw nothing suspicious he'd be discharged to his GP.

I'm also worried as the appointment was for two weeks, which makes me worry its serious, also waiting an extra week will be bad.

OP posts:
Original poster
Anonymousemouses · 22/07/2025 16:29

Any experience?

OP posts:
tumblingdowntherabbithole · 22/07/2025 16:34

I wouldn't worry. It would be pretty unlikely for him to have multiple cancerous moles in a small area.

If they were really worried, they'd have him back the same day.

Iloveeverycat · 22/07/2025 16:38

Ink spot moles can mimic melanoma so maybe they are just being careful.

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Original poster
Anonymousemouses · 22/07/2025 16:47

Thank you all, I'm being really snappy with everyone as I do when I'm worried.

I can't wait for the holiday to be over so we can find out (I do have MH conditions and am menopausal so tend to get very affected when anxious).

OP posts:
Original poster
Anonymousemouses · 22/07/2025 16:48

No idea why it posted Southend 😂

OP posts:
tumblingdowntherabbithole · 22/07/2025 16:50

Honestly, please try not to worry. Melanoma tends to follow the "ugly duckling" rule - so a mole that looks nothing like your other moles. The fact that he has several that look similar is a positive sign!

I have lots of weird looking moles - two have been removed and there's never been any hint of cancer, even though many look like "melanoma" according to Dr Google. My GP checks me over once a year just in case though :)

mindutopia · 22/07/2025 16:50

I am currently being treated for melanoma. I wasn’t told face to face that they needed removing. I got a letter and a surgical appointment in the post. If they have even looked at the images yet (I really doubt they have that quickly, but if so, that’s amazing!), then a report of the findings will be sent to the GP. Mine appeared on my NHS app really quickly. It stated what they thought it was (in my case, NOT melanoma) and what the treatment plan was.

If it was me personally, I would ask to do that 3 week appointment in 2 weeks and do it was a phone appointment unless they really need to look at them. They never looked at mine before it was removed. I just rocked up at the right time and it was taken off.

They won’t have any clear answers for you until the biopsy results come back. Those can take 8 weeks, though mine came back in 4. That’s why personally I’d push for a 2 week phone appointment if they just want to chat about next steps. I’d just get the ball rolling.

Original poster
Anonymousemouses · 22/07/2025 17:10

mindutopia · 22/07/2025 16:50

I am currently being treated for melanoma. I wasn’t told face to face that they needed removing. I got a letter and a surgical appointment in the post. If they have even looked at the images yet (I really doubt they have that quickly, but if so, that’s amazing!), then a report of the findings will be sent to the GP. Mine appeared on my NHS app really quickly. It stated what they thought it was (in my case, NOT melanoma) and what the treatment plan was.

If it was me personally, I would ask to do that 3 week appointment in 2 weeks and do it was a phone appointment unless they really need to look at them. They never looked at mine before it was removed. I just rocked up at the right time and it was taken off.

They won’t have any clear answers for you until the biopsy results come back. Those can take 8 weeks, though mine came back in 4. That’s why personally I’d push for a 2 week phone appointment if they just want to chat about next steps. I’d just get the ball rolling.

The woman in the phone said it was a face to face and something about having a lesion or mole removed, but was a bit vague.DH asked if he could speak to someone but she said she'd been told to make an appointment for a face to face for removal. TBH I should have been more on the ball but was shocked.
I'm so sorry to hear about you and hope you're doing well Flowers

OP posts:
mindutopia · 22/07/2025 17:23

Fwiw, my melanoma looked nothing like melanoma. Even the surgeon said, it’s nothing to worry about, but we’ll take it off. It was stage 3 by that point and had spread to a lymph node. I had to have 63 lymph nodes removed (plus the original lesion). Treatment now is excellent. It’s not even what it was 5 years ago. I should hopefully be okay, though I will never be 100% because of the surgeries as still have lingering pain and loss of sensation. But I would absolutely push ahead and get it sorted. I totally knew something wasn’t right, even when everyone was telling me it was probably nothing. Thankfully, once I was diagnosed, my care has been stellar. I truly cannot fault the NHS for that.

Original poster
Anonymousemouses · 22/07/2025 22:49

mindutopia · 22/07/2025 17:23

Fwiw, my melanoma looked nothing like melanoma. Even the surgeon said, it’s nothing to worry about, but we’ll take it off. It was stage 3 by that point and had spread to a lymph node. I had to have 63 lymph nodes removed (plus the original lesion). Treatment now is excellent. It’s not even what it was 5 years ago. I should hopefully be okay, though I will never be 100% because of the surgeries as still have lingering pain and loss of sensation. But I would absolutely push ahead and get it sorted. I totally knew something wasn’t right, even when everyone was telling me it was probably nothing. Thankfully, once I was diagnosed, my care has been stellar. I truly cannot fault the NHS for that.

I'm so sorry for all you've been through, but very glad that you've received great treatment.

OP posts:
Sheerdetermination · 23/07/2025 22:00

Hi @mindutopia do you mind me asking what raised your suspicions about your mole? I have many, many moles and new ones appear from time to time. I do get them checked out. I’ve just had a biopsy on one today, but hearing your story makes me wonder about all the others I’ve been reassured about. Many thanks

Whitehorses67 · 23/07/2025 22:20

mindutopia · 22/07/2025 17:23

Fwiw, my melanoma looked nothing like melanoma. Even the surgeon said, it’s nothing to worry about, but we’ll take it off. It was stage 3 by that point and had spread to a lymph node. I had to have 63 lymph nodes removed (plus the original lesion). Treatment now is excellent. It’s not even what it was 5 years ago. I should hopefully be okay, though I will never be 100% because of the surgeries as still have lingering pain and loss of sensation. But I would absolutely push ahead and get it sorted. I totally knew something wasn’t right, even when everyone was telling me it was probably nothing. Thankfully, once I was diagnosed, my care has been stellar. I truly cannot fault the NHS for that.

Totally agree about rapidly evolving treatment.

I have stage 4 melanoma and if it had become stage 4 back in 2013 when it was initially diagnosed (then stage 1) I would have likely died in six months.

I had my initial lump removed in early 2014 plus a sentinel node biopsy. (Sentinel node biopsies are controversial now because turns out they aren’t always that useful about predicting the future)

It didn’t return until 2017, then again and again and again until became stage 4 by spreading to my lungs in 2019.

Chemotherapy doesn’t work for melanoma. Immunotherapy has kept me here. My treatment was £3k per time every two weeks for a year. Plus the cost of several prolonged hospital stays from side effects and what seems like fifty million ct scans which are ongoing.

Thank you NHS.

Now there is a vaccine being trialled so in future patients won’t have to go through immunotherapy or the resultant unpleasant side effects.

OP, personally I think it highly unlikely that a one week delay will make any difference to the outcome no matter what these moles turn out to be.

Also remember that there are other types of skin cancer ( I think these are scarily misnamed) which only spread locally not systemically ie they won’t kill anyone.

Odds are that these moles are the less worrying sort even if they are called skin cancer.

Rabbitrabbitrun · 23/07/2025 22:30

I had urgent surgery for a mole on my back. The referral was query malignant melanoma. The results came back as normal. Don’t panic.

Lucylu1984 · 25/08/2025 21:41

Rabbitrabbitrun · 23/07/2025 22:30

I had urgent surgery for a mole on my back. The referral was query malignant melanoma. The results came back as normal. Don’t panic.

What did yours look like lovely?x

Rabbitrabbitrun · 25/08/2025 21:59

It was a dark brown mole. I couldn’t really see it properly because it was in the middle of my back.

Lucylu1984 · 26/08/2025 03:08

Rabbitrabbitrun · 25/08/2025 21:59

It was a dark brown mole. I couldn’t really see it properly because it was in the middle of my back.

Thank you for responding. I too have a dark brown mole in the middle of my back that I can't see x

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