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Original poster

Do GPs actually examine suspicious moles?

105 replies

bookworm1982 · 25/11/2021 22:07

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

OP posts:
Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:06

@MrsMariaReynolds

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.
Did it come back benign?
OP posts:
Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:07

@MrsSkylerWhite

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.

Glad to hear it came back benign. I think when it comes to cancer scares (and I've had a few), the NHS are brilliant xxx
OP posts:
Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:07

@Hoolahupsaresquare

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.
Hmmm very interesting. I'll look into that, thank you cxxc
OP posts:
tearinghairout · 26/11/2021 21:07

I had mine looked at by a nurse practitioner at the surgery. She was brilliant, and examined it with the magnifier light thingy. She had seen loads before, said it was a type of wart. Said it would bleed but i could pick it Grin, which I did. It healed up & dropped off after a couple of weeks.

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:10

@tearinghairout

I had mine looked at by a nurse practitioner at the surgery. She was brilliant, and examined it with the magnifier light thingy. She had seen loads before, said it was a type of wart. Said it would bleed but i could pick it Grin, which I did. It healed up & dropped off after a couple of weeks.
I wish I could have seen a nurse or doctor to put my mind at ease! I could only talk to my doctor on the phone! He's referred me to a dermatologist which is good, but I still wish I could have seen him so he could have had a proper look and tell me what he thinks.
OP posts:
Hoolahupsaresquare · 26/11/2021 21:12

Also don’t panic - I had a mole go a funny colour round the edges and I was referred to the hospital and had it looked at. It turned out to be nothing - just something that looked strange but was harmless.

At the time the nhs was less strapped and they did offer to remove it anyway but said that due to the position it would almost certainly leave a noticeable scar so I declined.

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:19

@Hoolahupsaresquare

Also don’t panic - I had a mole go a funny colour round the edges and I was referred to the hospital and had it looked at. It turned out to be nothing - just something that looked strange but was harmless.

At the time the nhs was less strapped and they did offer to remove it anyway but said that due to the position it would almost certainly leave a noticeable scar so I declined.

I think the reason why I'm so worried is because it's on the sole of my foot, and if you Google that, it ain't good 😞
OP posts:
RuthW · 26/11/2021 21:21

It depends. Some specialise. Where I work we have one with a special interest so he would look at it with his gadgets.

Oblomov21 · 26/11/2021 21:24

Dh sent a picture to GP and was referred immediately.

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:38

@Oblomov21

Dh sent a picture to GP and was referred immediately.
Was that recently? X
OP posts:
Ragtaggirl · 26/11/2021 21:55

Was this recently? Does she still have some of the mole?

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 26/11/2021 21:58

@Ragtaggirl

Was this recently? Does she still have some of the mole?
Not sure what you mean by this... Hmm
OP posts:
Ragtaggirl · 26/11/2021 22:15

Sorry, autotext. I've had melanoma and been where you are. Please dont worry for now. You're doing the right thing. Your appointment for referral will come through very quickly where dermatology will take a good look at it. Please take comfort that my mole was very angry. You do get new moles as you get older. I've got a lot of moles. I've got one in between my toes that was a new mole and it is fine.

In the case that it is melanoma. Today outcomes are amazing. It's not a death sentence. I'm 7 years post surgery.

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 27/11/2021 21:49

@Ragtaggirl

Sorry, autotext. I've had melanoma and been where you are. Please dont worry for now. You're doing the right thing. Your appointment for referral will come through very quickly where dermatology will take a good look at it. Please take comfort that my mole was very angry. You do get new moles as you get older. I've got a lot of moles. I've got one in between my toes that was a new mole and it is fine.

In the case that it is melanoma. Today outcomes are amazing. It's not a death sentence. I'm 7 years post surgery.

Thank you for your reply. I'm sorry to hear you had melonoma ♥️ Must have been so traumatic Sad When you say your mole was angry, what do you mean by this? I know I shouldn't expect the worse but I just keep looking at my mole looking so out of place on the sole of my foot and thinking there's no way they're going to say it's 'just a mole'. It looks EXACTLY the same as all the melanoma moles on the foot I've seen on Google ☹️ xxx
OP posts:
Ragtaggirl · 27/11/2021 23:43

It was traumatic but it wasn't if you know what I mean. My mole had been evolving for some time but my gp wouldn't refer me. It became angry in the sense that it became different tones, purple and yellow in it, it was itchy and it bled on sleeping and the shower.

So when I was seen initially and then referred for biopsy I told them I thought at pre consult for my biopsy I knew it was melanoma and they thought so too. In one way that felt like relief.

A few months at check up they decided to remove another large dark coloured mole and that was totally fine.

My advice to you would be stop googling. Youve read enough now. You've seen enough. I did that and it doesn't do you good. It doesn't change things. You will have to wait at each stage of this journey if it leads that way. After consultation. If they biopsy it. For results each time. And having a lot of anxiety can be worse that what's going on.

Your mole has very good chance of being just a mole. Sit tight. Even if it's melanoma, you will get very good care and you will be ok. Hugs x

happylittlevegemites · 28/11/2021 00:39

I reckon it’s a really shallow blood blister. Or bleeding into the callus. Show a healthcare professional, though, definitely. New skin lesions shouldn’t be ignored.

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 28/11/2021 20:27

@Ragtaggirl

It was traumatic but it wasn't if you know what I mean. My mole had been evolving for some time but my gp wouldn't refer me. It became angry in the sense that it became different tones, purple and yellow in it, it was itchy and it bled on sleeping and the shower.

So when I was seen initially and then referred for biopsy I told them I thought at pre consult for my biopsy I knew it was melanoma and they thought so too. In one way that felt like relief.

A few months at check up they decided to remove another large dark coloured mole and that was totally fine.

My advice to you would be stop googling. Youve read enough now. You've seen enough. I did that and it doesn't do you good. It doesn't change things. You will have to wait at each stage of this journey if it leads that way. After consultation. If they biopsy it. For results each time. And having a lot of anxiety can be worse that what's going on.

Your mole has very good chance of being just a mole. Sit tight. Even if it's melanoma, you will get very good care and you will be ok. Hugs x

Wow. I can't believe your GP didn't refer you. I would have been fuming with him! Thanks for sharing your story, hugs back to you xx
OP posts:
Original poster
bookworm1982 · 28/11/2021 20:28

@Ragtaggirl

It was traumatic but it wasn't if you know what I mean. My mole had been evolving for some time but my gp wouldn't refer me. It became angry in the sense that it became different tones, purple and yellow in it, it was itchy and it bled on sleeping and the shower.

So when I was seen initially and then referred for biopsy I told them I thought at pre consult for my biopsy I knew it was melanoma and they thought so too. In one way that felt like relief.

A few months at check up they decided to remove another large dark coloured mole and that was totally fine.

My advice to you would be stop googling. Youve read enough now. You've seen enough. I did that and it doesn't do you good. It doesn't change things. You will have to wait at each stage of this journey if it leads that way. After consultation. If they biopsy it. For results each time. And having a lot of anxiety can be worse that what's going on.

Your mole has very good chance of being just a mole. Sit tight. Even if it's melanoma, you will get very good care and you will be ok. Hugs x

And yes, I will stop googling. To be honest I don't think there's anything left to look at - I've pretty much spent the last two days on it!! Xxx
OP posts:
Original poster
bookworm1982 · 28/11/2021 20:29

@happylittlevegemites

I reckon it’s a really shallow blood blister. Or bleeding into the callus. Show a healthcare professional, though, definitely. New skin lesions shouldn’t be ignored.
A few people have said this. My doctor didn't say this but then he only looked at a picture of it. X
OP posts:
Whattodo1435 · 30/11/2021 06:14

I've had a mole on the sole of my foot for years. I think I mentined it once to GP and he wasn't concerned. It can't be anything to worry about as I'd know by now. I've got awful health anxiety too and now I been anxious that I never got mine checked properly! Sending love to you xxx

Cacee3029 · 30/11/2021 07:06

It depends on surgery. When I rang my surgery last year (just before covid messed everything up), I was told there was a doctor at my surgery who specialises in skin complains and growths etc and she had the equipment to look at the surgery so was given appointment with her.

In other cases I think that doctors can make a judgment and refer if they feel needed.

Have you spoken to anyone yet op? I had something very similar to this last year - as I mentioned above. Turns out it was just a stubborn blood blister!! Had it for months!! It looked very similar to what you have. I ended up picking it off but it was the most stubborn thing I've ever had. I convinced myself it was melanoma too!

goose1964 · 01/12/2021 15:56

I had mine looked at and was referred to a dermatologist but only because it was as itchy as could be. It was benign but I'm more likely to get skin cancer than the general population due to its type

Original poster
bookworm1982 · 01/12/2021 22:29

@Cacee3029

It depends on surgery. When I rang my surgery last year (just before covid messed everything up), I was told there was a doctor at my surgery who specialises in skin complains and growths etc and she had the equipment to look at the surgery so was given appointment with her.

In other cases I think that doctors can make a judgment and refer if they feel needed.

Have you spoken to anyone yet op? I had something very similar to this last year - as I mentioned above. Turns out it was just a stubborn blood blister!! Had it for months!! It looked very similar to what you have. I ended up picking it off but it was the most stubborn thing I've ever had. I convinced myself it was melanoma too!

I'm still Waiting for a call from the hospital dermatology team with the two week cancer wait. I've not heard from them, but it was on sent over by my doctor last Friday. I thought about picking mine too, to see if it's a blood blister or a subcorneal hematoma but I'm too scared what I'll find underneath ShockConfused so I think I'll leave that to the doctors 😃
OP posts:
Original poster
bookworm1982 · 01/12/2021 22:30

@Whattodo1435

I've had a mole on the sole of my foot for years. I think I mentined it once to GP and he wasn't concerned. It can't be anything to worry about as I'd know by now. I've got awful health anxiety too and now I been anxious that I never got mine checked properly! Sending love to you xxx
Thank you. Nice reassuring post there. Big hugs xxx
OP posts:
NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 01/12/2021 22:53

I went to my GP because I'd had a 'dry patch' that kept flaking on my nose. It was during LD1 so I'd put it off for ages! She looked at it & was very 'meh' then I showered her a lump/bump at the top of my arm and she went very quiet, I could tell she was concerned, she went & got another Dr who also gasped (not reassuring) The second Dr told me what he thought it was & that it could be cancerous & that the one on my nose could scar badly. He referred me on the 2week whatsit & I got the appointment a few days later. GP had pretty much convinced me it would be seriously bad news. The dermatologist said what he thought they were, gave me strong 'chemo' cream for my nose & said there was a Dr on Duty (at the hospital where I was seeing him) and she could cut the one on my arm out now. So I went & had it done there & then.

They were great & said it wouldn't need any other treatment etc.

She did a great job on the day, but it has scarred a lot.

Anyway, I got a letter from the NHS telling me what it was & that they were pleased to be able to tell me it was benign.

I wasn't expecting the letter, so I hadn't known I needed to worry 🤣🤣

So all the GP looking at it did for me, was scare me shitless 🤣

Just hold tight for your apt. The VAST majority are harmless, we only usually hear about the 'bad news' ones!