Mole removal. Feeling really down

[eatmyshorts89]

Hi all,
For the past 4 months since I had my son, I've had a wierd mole thing on my back, about 5mm big and crusty. Doctor diagnosed it as a seborrheic keratosis, but I caught it a few times and it just kept worrying me as was always crusty scabby feeling so the doctors removed it for my piece of mind and sent it off for testing.

I'm just really panicking can't eat, suppose to be moving house soon I have 4 children I'm only 30. Anyone else been through something similar and it's been ok? Feel so down convinced its melanoma

Yep- i got quite a few on my chest and back during pregnancy. It’s really common and if the doctor isn’t concerned, don’t let your imagination run away with you.

@artesia really? Did you end up having to have any biopsies? What did yours look like?

No- they looked exactly like seborrheic keratosis images I found courtesy of Dr Google, and when I had a doctor’s appointment for something else they agreed that was what it was.

Honestly OP, if there’s anything wrong, they’ll just cut it out! I know it’s worrying but they will just remove it in the worst case scenario. BUT there is a very very big chance that it isn’t anything serious and from your post, it sounds like the doctors weren’t too concerned at all. If they have a suspicion that it could be cancer, they refer you via a 2 week pathway so everything is sped up so you get a diagnosis ASAP. They haven’t done this with you so I wouldn’t be too worried! Hope everything goes ok and that you find reassurance!

Any mole or skin growth is automatically sent off for testing. I had one removed a few months ago and although the consultant was certain that it was a rodent ulcer, it was still tested.
My motto in life is, only worry when you have something definite to worry about.

Everything a doctor removes gets sent off for testing - it doesn't necessarily mean they are worried, it's totally routine.

And there if your doctor has said seborrheic keratosis, then please believe them, they have a very typical appearance which is easy to spot.

Just to echo the others, if the doctor had even a tiny worry they would refer you urgently and see you really quickly.

I had experience of this a few months ago when a blood test to check my hormone levels, which I didn’t think was a big deal at all, came back with off the scale readings for ovarian cancer markers, leading to me being referred on the 2 week cancer pathway. It was totally terrifying, but I was seen really quickly and it was confirmed that all was ok. When they need to, the NHS can move really quickly and are brilliant.

Thankyou all for replying to me.i do have health anxiety to. It's just the fact it was rough like scabby feeling what worried me, of course google tells me its cancer. I feel like my lifes onhold until I find out ☹

I developed one on my chest during pregnancy. I showed it to the GP who said it was S. K. 14 years later, it's still there, no bigger or smaller.

Lots of my moles went crazy during and after pregnancy - one on my back in particular tripled in size and became very itchy.
Went back and forth to the doctor about it for 2 years, finally referred to a dermatologist who said he was “rather concerned”. Referred me to skin cancer clinic.
Had a consultation, same day excision (and they took quite a lot of skin around it, so I was convinced it was bad news)..... absolutely fine. Nothing wrong with it. Now the scar itches... hugely ironic!

I know it’s hard OP, but stop panicking! First result on google gave this “The most common texture is rough, with a bumpy, grainy surface ”

I keep seeing posts etc where people keep saying doctors miss melanomas which of course makes me panic and the fact I'm 30 I thought only older people get seborrheic keratosis, my partner says it's always felt like extra skin, like you could catch it easy.

Thankyou ladies you have made me feel a bit more relaxed x

I got my first SK soon after I had chickenpox (as an adult). I just thought it was a late CP scab. I was 25-26yo then. The little creeps recur in the same place twice, in my experience, btw. 3-4 yrs after the first appearance in that location. So that's my normal.

It is extra skin - quite literally an overgrowth of skin. It's actually NOT a mole at all, although it looks a bit like one. Try not to worry OP. These things are really common, but they're not dangerous. Plus, you've had it removed now, so it's gone! I had one removed in January, because it was catching on my clothes and would sometimes bleed. Glad to be rid of the ugly thing tbh.

I had to moles removed, both fine. I think in the majority of cases they don’t turn out to be melanoma, removing them is a precaution. I wouldn’t worry until/if you even have to.

Skin Clinic? The channel 5 show, anyway. Had a woman with lots of SKs, including some ugly ones. I just pick mine off, no need for doctor to do anything.

Hi, I’ve been through this too. I was in my twenties. I’ve had 3 moles removed, the one on my neck sounds like it was very similar to the one on your back. All of them got sent off to be tested and 2 came back as ok (the one on my neck was one of these). The last one came back as “showing signs that it might turn cancerous in the future “ so I went back and they cut more skin out, both wider and deeper. Then it was fine and I didn’t have to go back again after I’d had the results.

Thankyou so much all for replying it's really making me feel better, nice to have others to talk too, I heard that once you catch a seborrheic keratosis they never heal? Like they just become more flaky and horrible until there removed? Has this happened to any of you? X

@ilovewatchingcraptellyshows what was the one on your neck like? Was it always scabby etc?

All of my SK have appeared, crusted up, I picked them off. The longest-lasting one lasted 7-9m, it was on my back so I couldn't pick it off and not sure when it went, but it disappeared suddenly by self.

So far, they came back in same place just once, a few yrs later. And not since. None of them have stuck around forever. So I started getting SKs 26 yrs ago & don't have any right now.

SK's have no link to cancer. Like a lot of skin growths, they appear via a completely different and benign process.

Hi, yes always either scabby or bleeding because I used to catch it in the collars of my clothes. That was the main reason I had it removed- I was worried that I was making it worse by damaging it.

Hi thought I'd update you, the pathology finally come back it's benign 😁

So pleased for you .
We all need a hand hold whilst waiting for results .

That’s great news!

I've had 5 moles removed due to them looking "dodgy" to various dermatologists over the years. None of them have ever come back as cancerous. Try not to worry until you have the results