To go to GP for tiny mole?

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A year ago I got a new mole on my leg. It grew quite large and was red. Then it scabbed, fell off, grew again. Anyway last time it scabbed, it was bleeding and the area is itchy and tender. I finally called GP, who can see me Friday. However, typically it is now tiny and barely risen, just like a normal scab. So I'm thinking it won't grow back this time and feel bad about going to get it checked.

I've attached a photo to show you. It's honestly about the size of an ingrown hair follicle at this point!

It's never a silly idea to have moles checked. Still go friday.

I’d go get it checked. I’m not a medical person but I had one just like that and it wasn’t a mole, it was a basal cell carcinoma (BCC). BCCs are the mildest form of skin cancer and not life threatening unless ignored for many many years. They do need to be removed though and the NHS wait lists are long. So go and tell her about when it appeared, how it cycles between scabbing and bleeding. A sore that wouldn’t heal is how my BCC was. It would cycle between being red and bleeding or scabbed and itchy. They like to appear on arms, legs, face- all the areas that get the most sun exposure.

Always get moles checked by a GP if they bleed or change. It's likely to just be something harmless, sebhorric Keratosis look like moles but are non cancerous and completely harmless, but you won't know what it is unless you see the GP.

Any mole that itches, scabs or bleeds needs checking. Don’t cancel your appointment!

I had something similar (BCC) like the pp above. Mine was “frozen” off with liquid nitrogen. It was quick and quite painless.

YANBU - always good to get a mole checked out if it's been scabbed and/or bleeding. You can explain to your GP exactly what you've just explained to us.

Yes definitely go and get it checked. I had a very small one that for some reason I was worried about. They were a bit concerned about it too, and I had it removed quickly and painlessly under local anaesthetic. Not worth the risk to ignore it!

I went to the docs last week with a mole that had become itchy. He said it was probably fine, but they have a new technique where they take a photo of the mole and put it through an AI system, which can detect with 100% accuracy (apparently) whether it's cancerous. I went to the docs on the Monday, had the appointment at the dermatologists for the photo on the Wednesday and they'd phoned me by the Wednesday evening to give me the results (nothing to worry about thankfully).

Definitely worth going.

I have a friend with terminal melanoma. It's not something I would wish on anyone. Please spend the 15 minutes to get this checked out. It might make.all the difference.

What did this turn out to be? I have just the same and several days till I can get it checked. The mole itself has been there for years no showed a GP when it first showed up and he wasn’t worried - but did say ‘it could be a small BCC but so small it’s nothing to worry about’. It’s smaller than a pencil eraser. Worried tonight as it’s just started bleeding for the first time.

Size doesn’t matter! Get it checked out.

I work in a GP surgery, in my location a referral to Dermatology at the local hospital is a year long wait. We have a community Skin Lesion Clinic also (which is where you would be referred to first from what you've said) but getting onto the list is hit and miss as 3 assessment slots are released daily between 21 local surgeries, so potentially a long wait for patients also. See your GP.
Email the pic to the GP & they can upload with your referral.

Edited to add:

 <strong>*</strong><strong>ZOMBIE THREAD</strong><strong>*</strong>

Thanks both. Did see the GP and she requested a photo to send on as you say. She agrees maybe a small BCC but unlikely to be too urgent given it’s been there for years. She will ask advice on it though and I’ll then be put on the right waiting list.