To worry I might have nail cancer?

[Sadandstripey]

I’m really anxious about getting cancer and because of that I don’t trust my own judgement properly.

I’ve got a dark brown stripe running lengthways across my big toe nail. It has some darker pinprick spots in and isn’t a straight line. I can’t remember hurting my toe at all. The stripe has been there since October. I’ve now googled and scared myself silly it’s cancer. Would IBU to see a GP about this?

No, not unreasonable. Just make an appointment.

I'm pretty sure you can't get cancer of the nail being that it is dead!

Could be something to do with the pigment in your nail- something to do with the melatonin.

Why would you be unreasonable to see a GP?!?

You can get cancer under the nail which can look like a dark stripe. Hence my concern.

But you can get skin cancer that's visible under the nail.

No, but it is possible to get cancer under the nail, a form of skin cancer, I think?

I assumed that was what the OP meant

Because sometimes I worry I see my GP too often over things unanxious people wouldn’t. Then if something is actually wrong it’s more of a struggle to get them to take me seriously.

Titsywoo you can it's cancer of nail bed under the nail.

Make an appointment to put your mind at rest. It's most likely not cancer but don't sit worrying. My dd has a vertical stripe on her thumb and I was terrified after I googled it but it was caused by medication and went away.

It’s just a thick dark brown stripe. Looks almost black in places. I’m really worried.

Will make GP appointment and go from there.

Skin cancer can show up as a black line through your nail that doesn’t grow out as a normal trauma line would.

There are threads on General Health about this, would be worth a look?

Definitely go to the GP to have it checked.

Maybe go to your GP about health anxiety? CBT is an evidence based treatment free on the NHS.

Just see a doc. Sometimes you need to set your. Ind at rest, though surely nail cancer is very rare?

I have had CBT that’s why I’m calm(ish) for me with this nail thing. But then I worry about if it’s a GP thing or if I’m catastrophising or not.

Can you post a photo?

Go and make an appointment, you are important and have every right to have it looked at. It wouldn’t be over reacting to get something checked out that is worrying you.

I’ve got something similar which is a nail fungal infection. Google pics of that and see the images look anything like your toe nail

Horrible toe photo alert

Here it is lola

Don’t know why it didn’t post.

It would be melanoma rather than “nail cancer”, though much more likely to be a fungus. Does it “bleed” into your cuticle?

Oh it did ha.

Definitely get that looked at.

MiniMum97 I will get GP appoinment in the morning. Shit I’m scared now.

The lines usually are vertical running from the cuticle upward if it's cancer, but still go to the gp as it's a change and you're worried.

I thought it went the other way too

I agree get it checked out though, hope it turns out ok

Has it moved up the nail at all? I had the same type of mark, I didn't have any trauma that I could remember either. It was fine but I had to wait to see the patch move. Please go to the doctor asap. I got a same day appointment. I have bad health anxiety too x