Scared I have skin cancer

[Lostusername]

I have a small pink painless bump on my scalp. Washing my hair tonight I’ve realised I’ve had it for bloody ages. Google has come up with skin cancer as a potential cause and now I’m bloody terrified. I will be seeing my GP but has anyone had anything similar and it turned out OK?

Not on my scalp but on my face, basal cell carcinoma. It’s a skin cancer but a non-melanoma one and is very, very rare to be harmful. Very common cancer. They just get removed because they keep growing otherwise. It could also just be a mole. I know it’s hard but try not to worry. If you’ve had it ages and it’s not really grown it’s a good sign. I had my bcc about 3 years before I realised it was probably growing and got it seen to!

This is one of those times when Google really isn’t your friend. It’s like reading the list of potential side effects from taking paracetamol.

Some new skin bumps are cancer but the vast, vast, vast majority aren’t. The best thing to do is to book an appointment with your GP who can look at it. Getting that sort of thing checked is always a good idea but it’s most likely nothing to worry about.

Sounds unlikely. Scalp skin cancers tend to be occur in older people especially men who are balding. How old are you? Are you on any immunosuppressants , are you balding?

Google thinks everything is cancer. I have raging health anxiety and have googled myself to at least 4 different cancer diagnoses, all of which have turned out to be fairly benign, every day issues.

Could it be a cyst? Worth getting it checked, for sure, but don't jump to the worst case scenario because it's much more likely to be something benign. I know it's hard but try to stop Googling until you've seen your GP, too, all it'll do is raise your anxiety levels and probably without cause.

I’ve had it at least 6 months. Every now and again it gets more inflamed and scabby and then calms down to just a smallish bump. It’s at the nape of my neck under my hair.

You need to make an appointment with your gp. They will want to look at a changing mole. Nobody on the internet should be telling you otherwise.

Only a medically trained professional can answer whether or not it needs treatment- please book in with your GP or a clinic if going private

I had this, turned out to be a cyst. Get it checked tho

My partner has just had a similar lump removed from the back of his hand. Pea sized, changed colour & texture frequently & very painful.
It was a cancerous melanoma but they've removed it all with not risk of spread or return
I'm sure you'll be fine but definitely get it checked. A malignant melanoma we were told is extremely rare.