Likelihood GP has diagnosed skin cancer?

[BabyOrSanta]

Just had a garbled message from DGM. She showed the nurse her leg as it was bleeding. The nurse asked a doctor to look at it. The doctor has referred her to dermatology on an urgent referral. He "definitely think" it's skin cancer.

Right.
Bit of background.
She has lymphodema in her legs which was triggered by a knee replacement. She oils her legs nightly and wears compression stockings during the day.
She's also had a few heart attacks and has angina (among other things). This means she's on long term tablets including clopidogral (sp?).

I, personally, think her lymphodema is playing up and she needs a new treatment plan as it's been the same for several years. I think the lymphodema has caused the skin to split and she possibly has cellulitis. I think that she's banged it somewhere and, because of the clopidogral, she has one of her famous bruises.
I admit it could be skin cancer but we don't have a history of any cancer in our family (except her niece who died of breast cancer in her 40s). Most live until 90-odd then get dementia/age related deterioration.

She has a bit of a habit of hearing what she wants to hear but I really don't think a GP can diagnose skin cancer from looking at her leg for a few minutes. Even if he thought that is what it was, it would be extremely unprofessional for him to voice that opinion to an elderly lady.
This is a doctor who did not know that lower limb lymphodema existed until he met DGM.

My questions:
Would they refer to dermatology for skin cancer? Or would it be oncology?
Does my theory seem plausible?

Dermatology.

Refer to Derm, yes your theory seems plausible, GPs cannot diagnose skin cancer. A biopsy is required which is done by the dermatologists.

Dermatology, I was sent under the two week wait and was sent for a biopsy and excision. Results back fairly quickly.

Babyorsanta.. I am a GP and the guidance is, if you have a suspicion that something maybe cancer you should refer the patient on a two week wait urgent referral.
I always explain to patients why I am doing this and what I suspect, mainly Cus every patient referred urgently knows it because the doctor is suspecting cancer and it is wrong to not be honest with patients.
Your dgm has capacity therefore the doctor should discuss his concerns with her, as he did.
While skin cancer needs an excision for formal diagnosis a good gp knows what they are looking at... And he has said he thinks it's most likely a skin cancer.
What makes you think you know better than this experienced and qualified doctor?
And would you prefer he ignored his concerns it is a skin cancer and not refer your dh?
Your post is quite insulting to doctors.

@theredjellybean where did the OP say she thought she knew better than the GP? The gp said they "definitely thought" it was skin cancer, something that should not say until a diagnosis is confirmed.
Could a GP say they "definitely thought" someone had breast cancer etc?

Yep... I would if I thought it definitely was something serious.. There arw times when it is 99%obvious it is a malignancy and we shouldn't lie or fudge things to patients.
Actually the op says she thinks it cellulitis from split skin due to lymphoma and her dgm knocking it maybe.
The op was not at the consultation so didn't hear exactly what the doctor said, nor does she say she has seen the lesion. Yet she is clear that she thinks this is cellulitis, which is frankly very different from a skin cancer

GP here- cellulitis and lymphoedema, even with bruising, look completely different to skin cancer. OPs post is a little rude actually, and she isn't in any place to comment whether it was "extremely unprofessional" of the GP as she wasn't there and clearly hasn't seen the leg. But lets just keep bashing GPs shall we? if the doctor is worried, a 2ww derm referral seems perfectly reasonable.

I'd listen to the GP. They don't spend years of medical school for nothing.

Not the same scenario but I had a fast track 2 week referral to dermatology last summer for a suspicious mole, in fact several. I was mole mapped which is repeated every 6 months but no need to remove any. So the urgent nature of the referral doesn't always mean something sinister.

I think OP was hoping to be told that her grandmother would have been referred to oncology rather than to dermatology with a suspected skin cancer, ie that her GM might be fantasising or exaggerating.

Sounds like rather good management from her GP to me.
(From a non-derm/onc hospital doc)

Referral to a dermo is standard practice for skin lesions that may be cancerous.

I've twice had a GP referral to a dermatologist, once for a mole and once for a lesion on my face. In both cases, it wasn't skin cancer, but the mole was removed under local anaesthetic and biopsied. So, yes, she is being investigated for skin cancer but it doesn't mean she definitely has it. It's what GPs should do: refer patients to a specialist if they think it needs an expert opinion as to whether it is cancer or not.

I’m not a doctor op, but don’t see anything wrong with what the gp has done? I would imagine that a skin cancer might be more easily identifiable by a gp as being cancerous, than say a lump that would need a biopsy? What I mean is, they can see straight away whether it looks abnormal or not, whereas a breast lump can’t be seen?

I think it’s right that doctors are honest with their patients.

Try not to worry too much. My DH had an very urgent referral a few years ago for both a very irregular shaped mole and an huge, irregular and itchy mole. The GP said that he had had dermatology training and "really didn't like the look of the moles at all". We ended up paying for a private appointment as what the GP had said had really worried me. The dermatologist that we saw said thoroughly checked both moles, and said that both moles were absolutely fine.

Most people want their GP to give an honest opinion. I disagree with OP thinking it was wrong for GP to be honest with his patient about her body.

Sorry for any offence caused! I really didn't mean to GP bash!

My post was really to see whether DGM had actually understood what was said or whether she's heard the word "cancer" and not listened to anything else (she has form for this).
I'm glad the GP was honest but I had to calm down DGM when she called. I really wish I'd been there so that I knew exactly what was said so that I could calm her down. (She usually has another person with her so that we can make sure she's understood what was said as she is deaf in one ear but won't ask the doctors to repeat themselves.)
I'm hoping that she gets seen quickly and that it turns out to be nothing. I also hoped she calms down a bit...

If it is some form of skin cancer, will this negatively affect the lymphodema?

OP, I'm sorry if I've got this wrong but I think you want to believe that your grandmother has nothing seriously wrong with her, and is exaggerating or misunderstanding what the GP told her. Maybe she's done this before?

This could be the time you have to believe her.

I think part of me thinks that she can't get ill and that she's as strong as ever, yes. Denial of her age and health status.

If it is cancer, we'll just have to get through it like we get through everything else.

Just to add to my previous post:
When I've been to the GP with her before he's told her it could be one of a few things. We then went home and she was on the phone to her sister and explaining it and it was obvious she hadn't heard or taken in most of what was said just because of what she was telling her sister and the conclusions she'd come to in her own mind (not exaggerating as she truly believed that's what they had said).

I also think that she thought she had skin cancer when going into the appointment as she said it looks exactly like her late husband's skin cancer (it was caught and removed very early) so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I really am grateful for all of the replies and honestly meant no ill-feeling!

Just to reassure you, my MiL had skin cancer, not melanoma through, a few years back. She had it operated on and then that was it ,no chemo or radiation therapy. Just wound care. If it is skin cancer it's not the end of the world

Thank you
Luckily she has a spare room and I'm on her car insurance so everything's covered if I need to be there for any reason.