Identifying a Melanoma

[nebueralleb]

I have moles, lots of moles all over of varying degrees, small, larger, some raised, some not, nothing significant, never been a problem, have millions of freckles.

I have had a few new moles appear over the years, again nothing to concern me, just normal moles, the odd raised one but still just regular ones.

I have had what appeared/felt like an itchy spot on my back for a few weeks. Right in the patch where you struggle to itch as too high up, and too low down along the spine. I itched it the other day and took a scab off, did not hurt, it was more like a dry flake of skin, but to look at, it was dark.

It has itched since, sometimes like mad, but i mostly can't reach, however I made myself bend so I can! and felt it, its not a spot, feels very much like a mole, is quite raised, and when i scratched it lightly it hurt a lot, and left the nerves around that area smarting for some time after. And now its just itching like I need a good scratching post.

It is a part of my skin that is very rarely exposed to the sun, I am not a sun worshipper, go red, burn then peel so tend to keep out of the sun or cover the all the bits that burn with at least sunblock, but often material too.

Can this be a melanoma? I am a born worrier.

No, that's not the way moles work. DS's moles have been there since his earliest baby days. He doesn't have freckles, just a good scattering of moles. Now he has two fewer, and two very small scars.

my melanoma was only 2mm across - in the middle of a small mole just 5mm across. A small black dot in the middle of a mole - a mole that was there for at least 3 years (back of knee)

2mm!!

The scar from a second wide incision is 2 inches wide.

If in doubt , see the GP and explain WHY you are concerned. (i have another mole with a dark spot in it. But its dark brown, rather than black. Dermatologist not worried)

There is also another criterion - is your mole the same or different from other moles on your body? So if you have lots of brown moles, and you suddenly develop a black or pink mole, get it checked out.

There are lots and lots of pictures on the Net to show what a melanoma looks like. I found that helpful when I had an insect bite next to a mole and got a bit concerned about what was itching.

I am very full of moles, never heard it suggested before that having a single mole means you should see a dermatologist regularly. It sounds a bit like overkill, tbh, I can't see GP referring people on that basis (or do you see them privately?)

Above all, you shouldn't try diagnosing yourself when it comes to moles. You could be completely wrong.

I got referred to the dermatologist by the paediatrician as we were in the US. Paediatrician looked DS over and said he hadn't a clue - refreshingly honest actually -- so off we went to the dermatologist with the referral clutched in our fists. I wouldn't have looked twice at the moles that were eventually removed, despite looking at loads of pictures in the net.

The dermatologist recommended seeing a dermatologist once you get to your 30s or so if you've got fair skin, or a history of skin cancer in the family, or if you've even had a bad sunburn as a child, or if you have any moles, just to get them checked.

Nothing a dermatologist likes more than having a referral, taking a look, and saying "nope, it's fine you can clear off ". That's what one said to me!

My Dad just ahd a mole removed from his back, sounds a bit like yours - he got a 2 week referral from the GP which is standard protocol, and yes you can insist.

Nobody can tell, not even a derm, unless it is subject to biopsy. So really it's important to have it removed as soon as possible.

Btw I lost my best friend to melanoma 4 months ago so am quite clued up, unfortunately.

Just to mention also that it doesn't always have to be a mole, and the ABCD criteria can be misleading - she was misdiagnosed by her GP for over a year, because it didn't look like a classic mole or whatever.

Please be proactive.

Very true Catinthehat.

neb, melanomas can also appear on skin that has NOT been exposed to sunlight and waiting for it to get bigger is not going to make it go away, in fact it could make it more complex.

I seem to meet almost all of mathanxiety's risk factors above (definitely all of them if being caucasian is the same as having "fair skin").

So, those of you that believe in regular visits to a dermatologist just to have one's moles checked:

1. How long does it take per mole? Assuming I've got 200 moles on me.* Do you mind them checking the moles on your privates?

2. How often to see the dermatologist (what is "regularly")? Does the dermatologist tell you?

*(am not exagerating, I think I must have at least a dozen moles on the left forearm alone!)

They will tell you when to come back, Ragged. What they can do is create a mole-map of your skin, ie they take a load of photos and each time you come in, they compare the original photo to how your skin looks now.
I know this is done privately but might be available from the mole clinic or NHS. You'd have to ask.

They will check every part of you, yes.

One of DSs was located in a place where the sun doesn't normally reach . Would have been a pity to refuse to take down his boxers and suffer a horrible disease as a result. I had to leave the exam room at that point, with just the doc and a nurse present with DS, who was about 13 at the time.

DS hasn't had to go back for checkups except for the postop one (the operation was out -patient), but he has seen another dermatologist for an outbreak of severe acne since the original visit for the moles, and the next one took a look at his moles while dealing with the acne.

The appointment with the original (mole) dermatologist was over in under half an hour -- he dismissed most of the moles just with a look and a poke, but the ones he eventually removed he looked long and hard at, then biopsied at another app't soon after, followed by the removal surgery.

If you get to about 30 to 40 and you have risk factors, a baseline examination is always a good thing -- they take photos galore, all over, and go through your hair too. Apparently hair can hide many melanomas.

Math - excellent and helpful post.

My friend's was on her scalp.