Do GPs actually examine suspicious moles?

[bookworm1982]

Or do they just take a quick look and refer you if need be? Thank you xx

@bookworm1982 yes, mine just appeared out of the blue one day. Couldn't tell you exactly when, but one day I washed my foot and it was there and I'd seen no hint of it before. 🤷‍♀️ I hadn't trodden on anything that I'd noticed being painful or anything but that's what it was, anyway.

Should add, I have also had a suspicious mole examined by the GP, who deemed it to be fine, and a different one that was removed by a dermatologist but also turned out to be benign.

[quote toastfiend]@bookworm1982 yes, mine just appeared out of the blue one day. Couldn't tell you exactly when, but one day I washed my foot and it was there and I'd seen no hint of it before. 🤷‍♀️ I hadn't trodden on anything that I'd noticed being painful or anything but that's what it was, anyway.[/quote]
Yep, same, washed my foot as I was having Reflexology. Definitely not there in the summer.

To those of you who had biopsies, how long did you wait for results? Xxx

I’d get that seen if I were you. I would probably pay to be seen privately if it’s readily affordable and the nhs gp wait is likely to be lengthy.

It's policy at my surgery to refer any 'dodgy' moles to dermatology. I had a biopsy a couple of years ago, think I went back for the results 4-6 weeks later but the specialist did say if there was anything they would call me within a few days.

@bookworm1982 I waited about 2 weeks for my biopsy results. I would genuinely get it checked out by a chiropodist or GP before fixating on biopsies etc. as it's much more likely to be something simple like a subcorneal haematoma than something more sinister. I have health anxiety and completely understand your mindset and the stress you must be feeling, but from someone who has a tendency to fixate on the worst case scenarios when it comes to my health I'd gently suggest that this thread probably isn't helping you anymore. Get it looked at ASAP by a professional and then you'll know what you're dealing with, but that will be much more helpful to you than fixating on the minutiae of others' biopsies etc. when you don't even know if that's what you need yet and each case is very different anyway.

Is it raised like a mile because that looks flat?

I'd also be inclined to go to the chiropodist first, purely because that's their area of specialism and I would have thought that they're more likely to be able to set your mind at ease if it is nothing as they have more time to spend with you and to shave the dead skin off the area to see if it's something sinister or not. Whereas a GP may just refer you immediately, which might prolong the anxiety for you.

[quote toastfiend]@bookworm1982 I waited about 2 weeks for my biopsy results. I would genuinely get it checked out by a chiropodist or GP before fixating on biopsies etc. as it's much more likely to be something simple like a subcorneal haematoma than something more sinister. I have health anxiety and completely understand your mindset and the stress you must be feeling, but from someone who has a tendency to fixate on the worst case scenarios when it comes to my health I'd gently suggest that this thread probably isn't helping you anymore. Get it looked at ASAP by a professional and then you'll know what you're dealing with, but that will be much more helpful to you than fixating on the minutiae of others' biopsies etc. when you don't even know if that's what you need yet and each case is very different anyway.[/quote]
Thank you, and you've made a very good point. My health anxiety is beyond control when things like this happen. So I've got a call with the doctor today - he wouldn't see me face to face but reception asked me to send photos and if he wants me to come in he'll tell me on the call after looking at the pics!

@Asdf12345

I’d get that seen if I were you. I would probably pay to be seen privately if it’s readily affordable and the nhs gp wait is likely to be lengthy.

Believe it or not I'm with Bupa and that was my first port of call, but apparently private dermatologists have a two month waiting list due to covid back log and both Bupa and the two private hospitals that I called told me it'd be quicker with NHS!!

@Savoretti

Is it raised like a mile because that looks flat?

It's flat xx

I'm amazed at all of you who have managed to get moles checked out. Stbxh had a black and bleeding mole on his back which he was told, after a cursory glance, was "fine". Fair enough, that was about 3 years ago and stbxh is still here, but it does worry me, especially since he now has a similar one on his arm. Having been told he was fine once, he won't go and get the new one checked over.

DD also has a mole which was dismissed after a couple of seconds as a skin tag by a different GP. It's raised, isn't on a "stalk" and is a brown dome which sometimes itches. She is going to have to pay to get it looked at privately. She literally never sees a GP from one year to the next, certainly not a hypochondriac.

GP looked at pics and has sent through an urgent request for a dermatologist. He said he was putting it through as urgent because if he sends it routine i won't be seen until end of next year. But he might just be saying that to make me feel better 😞 I don't know how I'm going to handle the wait, even if it is within two weeks. I feel pretty sure it's something bad ☹️

[quote toastfiend]@bookworm1982 I waited about 2 weeks for my biopsy results. I would genuinely get it checked out by a chiropodist or GP before fixating on biopsies etc. as it's much more likely to be something simple like a subcorneal haematoma than something more sinister. I have health anxiety and completely understand your mindset and the stress you must be feeling, but from someone who has a tendency to fixate on the worst case scenarios when it comes to my health I'd gently suggest that this thread probably isn't helping you anymore. Get it looked at ASAP by a professional and then you'll know what you're dealing with, but that will be much more helpful to you than fixating on the minutiae of others' biopsies etc. when you don't even know if that's what you need yet and each case is very different anyway.[/quote]
Your message has really given me hope though! Can I be annoying and ask a few more questions, and then I'll stop!

Did your mole look exactly like mine?
Did it have black bits in it?
Did it have irregular edges? (This is the bit that had concerned the GP)

Thank you. Sorry loosing my mind a bit here

Mine was smaller and more irregular in shape than yours. Mine was on my chest near my armpit. Took them ten minutes to cut it out and stitch it up

@Peanut91

Mine was smaller and more irregular in shape than yours. Mine was on my chest near my armpit. Took them ten minutes to cut it out and stitch it up

And it came back ok? X

@Peanut91

Mine was smaller and more irregular in shape than yours. Mine was on my chest near my armpit. Took them ten minutes to cut it out and stitch it up

Oh sorry; just realised you said it was only done a couple of days ago xxx

Moles on the feet can look quite different to regular moles, is my understanding, so I don't know how helpful it would be for me to tell you about the mole on my leg that was removed. It obviously fitted enough of the criteria for removal but turned out to be benign.

The subcorneal haematoma on my foot looked very much like yours with irregular edges and black blotches (which I was told is a common feature of them). The chiropodist I saw described them as 'mimics' of melanoma, but it literally just shaved off when she removed the hard layers of skin, which is how she knew it wasn't anything to worry about. That's the main reason I suggested the chiropodist, if it is harmless, as mine was, you have the answer within a 45-minute appointment, which is extremely reassuring. If the chiropodist doesn't have an answer then you have an appointment with the dermatologist upcoming anyway so nothing lost by going but it might put an end to the stress for you much earlier.

Also, I was referred for a lump in my breast as an urgent referral, but the GP was confident it was fibrocystic changes, which it was, but she said it would take too long to be seen if it wasn't marked as urgent, so I think that is a thing that happens and it's probably not necessary to read too much into the referral if the GP has reassured you about it.

@toastfiend

Moles on the feet can look quite different to regular moles, is my understanding, so I don't know how helpful it would be for me to tell you about the mole on my leg that was removed. It obviously fitted enough of the criteria for removal but turned out to be benign.

The subcorneal haematoma on my foot looked very much like yours with irregular edges and black blotches (which I was told is a common feature of them). The chiropodist I saw described them as 'mimics' of melanoma, but it literally just shaved off when she removed the hard layers of skin, which is how she knew it wasn't anything to worry about. That's the main reason I suggested the chiropodist, if it is harmless, as mine was, you have the answer within a 45-minute appointment, which is extremely reassuring. If the chiropodist doesn't have an answer then you have an appointment with the dermatologist upcoming anyway so nothing lost by going but it might put an end to the stress for you much earlier.

Also, I was referred for a lump in my breast as an urgent referral, but the GP was confident it was fibrocystic changes, which it was, but she said it would take too long to be seen if it wasn't marked as urgent, so I think that is a thing that happens and it's probably not necessary to read too much into the referral if the GP has reassured you about it.

Thank you, I've just found a local Chiropodist and sent them a message, so hopefully I'll hear something on Monday. The only thing that worries me about what you've said is that my mole is not on hard skin - it's not exactly soft, but it's not hard like my heel. So there's not really anything for her to 'shave off'. Was your mark on hard skin then? Xx

The best thing your GP CAN do is to refer you to a specialist.

@MrsSkylerWhite

The best thing your GP CAN do is to refer you to a specialist.

They have done. Just waiting for an appointment with the dermatologist now xx

I had a BCC removed from my arm about 5 years ago. It was initially examined by the nurse practitioner who couldn't tell what it was. She sent me to the GP, who quickly referred me on to dermatology. They decided to remove it straight away.

bookworm1982

MrsSkylerWhite
The best thing your GP CAN do is to refer you to a specialist.

They have done. Just waiting for an appointment with the dermatologist now xx

Good news. Despite reports to the contrary, my family have had nothing but excellent NHS experiences in the past 6 months, one of which, eldest
child, was a dubious mole. Seen within a fortnight and dealt with quickly. Benign, as yours is statistically very likely to be, but removed anyway.

If you are in a position to do so boots offer a paid service where someone will examine your mole with the proper scope thingy (technical term) although they may also be fairly fully booked depending on your location.