To panic about my mole? Pic attached

[cultkid]

Has anyone used the London Dermatology Clinic?
I am panicking so hard right now. I can't call my GP for reassurance, cancer all over my mums side of the family.
The mole has changed over night literally raised up and got darker. I have a baby and a 4 year old I am beside my self

[cultkid]

@Lou197 yes I've booked the London dermatology clinic on Harley st
I hope they can tell me ASAP

There's no blood on it x

[Siddalee]

We had a panic over a mole on my son's leg two weeks ago- we'd noticed some changes in May and it seemed to be getting worse, Telephone consultation with the doctor on the Tuesday, emailed photo's over to show her what it looked like in May and now
She rang back the next day to say she was referring him to a dermatologist. Got an appointment through the next day,
Went to the hospital Tuesday, nothing to worry about- its a vascular abnormality

I guess what I'm saying is contact your doctor and take it from there

[Daisy03]

I was diagnosed with a 1a melanoma last year, it was a new mole which was reddish in colour.
I would advise to go privately if you can, I went through bupa.
My gp didn’t take it very seriously and forget to put the 2 week referral through. I saw an nhs dermatologist who didn’t think it was too serious but told me I’d hear to get it biopsied.
I went to get it seen privately, it was biopsied the next week, and I had the results around 10 days later which led to a wide excision removal.
It was 4 months after the wide excision that I finally received a date for the nhs biopsy.
Wishing you luck, chances are you’ll be ok but I completely understand what you’re going through xx

[IslandbreezeNZ]

Get it checked soon that is very important for any mole change but to comfort you I have sometimes knocked a mole or scratched it a bit and then seen it change only to go back to normal a few days later (but I am still a big advocate for getting doctors to check moles anyway just in case).

[cultkid]

@Daisy03 that is ridiculous
If my GP can write me a referral and it will be more then 3 weeks then bennenden can treat me ASAP but also I can have the appointment on the 8th at harley st, whichever is quicker.
So to clarify, you had yours removed, treated and a biopsy done in the time it took to get a letter for your appointment with the NHS
It's the worst nightmare when you have kids.
Did you use health insurance to pay for it?

[paddyclampitt]

I had a mole I was worried about and paid privately to have it seen to. Waited 3 days for an appointment and got the decision there and then (benign) - best £250 I've ever spent!

[goingoverground]

If you want to go private @cultkid I would make an appointment with a consultant dermatologist rather than a clinic. Are you booked in for a consultation followed by removal, if necessary, or are they just going to remove the mole? It concerns me that they are just going to remove a mole without knowing whether it is clinically necessary. Are they aware that you have concerns about the mole and need a biopsy rather than wanting cosmetic removal? There are different procedures for mole removal.

[ittakes2]

I think we have been there - I think they do operations on the same day? They have a treatment room, a bit of local, off comes the mole and to the lab for testing. If where you are going offers same day treatment it makes sense to me.

[Thelnebriati]

I had one removed on the NHS last year and it was all over within 8 weeks from the first visit to the GP to having it removed and tested.

That was after a thread on Mumsnet as it happens - the GP and the dermatologist both said they'd suddenly had a lot of people in with similar marks under their nails.

[Singinghollybob]

I've just had a suspicious mole removed on Wednesday.

My timelone looked like this - I emailed the GP photos of it on a Friday, the GPcalled me back the same day and made an appt for me at the dermatology clinic at a hospital for the following Monday. They inspected it and suggested removal and testing and I got a removal date for it within 10 days of that clinic appt. So all in all I would say from my GP appt to removal it has been approx 14 days.

I should get the results within 3 weeks.

My experience of the referrals and NHS system has been extremely swift in my opinion, cant fault any of it.

Good luck OP, glad you've made a plan

[Daisy03]

It took me 5 weeks to get seen by the dermatologist, the appointment for the biopsy was about 4 months afterwards.
I had my biopsy by bupa a few days after I saw the nhs dermatologist. It all had a huge effect on me mentally.
I paid privately, I had been considering getting health care insurance and wished I had as now no one will cover me. It was worth it though, I’ve since had to have another punch hole biopsy done on another suspect area but thankfully it came back benign,
Please try not to panic though I know that’s easier said than done

[Daisy03]

I will say that mines didn’t look suspicious really, neither dermatologist could see anything under their microscope and it’s only that it was new that they biopsied. When giving me the news they said it was really not what they’d expected and we’re only being precautionary.

[ottermadness]

1a Melanoma here also and my experience was good with the NHS. I noticed changes, GP took my word seriously then referred me into dermatology clinic relatively quickly. I had the excision on the same day as I had my first appt with the Derm team. I’ve been pregnant 3 times since this happened in 2013 and I’ve still got ‘safety net’ type care and follow up. Can’t fault it (but I’d still prefer it had never happened).

I’m sure you will be fine OP and you are doing the right thing to get checked thoroughly.

[littlenickyy61]

My ex husband had one like yours recently. suddenly went darker and kind of crusty/scabby . He showed doctor was seen at the hospital within a week and they booked him to go in the next week to have it removed and sent for biopsy. She also checked every mole on his body . Biopsy came back as normal . Its good to get it checked and removed etc but please try to not worry too much ( easier said than done I know )

[littlenickyy61]

Should add that the results were back at the doctors within a week but we didn't get the letter from hospital for around 2/3 weeks. He had to go to his Gp to get the wound checked one week after the removal and the results were already on the system

[spotthecats]

I've got loads of moles op that I've had checked numerous times. I have one in particular that sits on my bra line that has become bigger. It's because of my bra rubbing on it and irritation. Where is the mole?

[cultkid]

@goingoverground yes they are all dermatologists and I've said I want it analysed
It may end up quicker using the nhs, I've also emailed my GP

@ittakes2 yes they do it all same day it makes sense doesn't it

[Flamingolingo]

Honestly, you’re probably better off going with the NHS, our local dermatology clinic is fantastic. Last time I saw the GP on the Monday and was in the unit on the Thursday - it’s a one stop shop with removal on the same day. (I know someone else who had to go during lockdown and had an even quicker experience). The best thing about the NHS service is that they do a whole body check at the same time, so as of February, all my moles are given a clean bill of health. That said, almost all that they remove is benign, and if you’ve had a child recently then you have age on your side, plus your skin tone looks darker which lowers the risk further. So right now don’t worry, getting it checked is the right thing, but the odds are very much in your favour

[cultkid]

I spoke to the GP this morning and she has referred me to the rapid access clinic

[Flamingolingo]

That’s great news - ours is really quick. Hope yours is too!