Petrified I have melanoma on my ear lobe- picture included

[squashie34]

Firstly I know that mumsnet isn't a clinical diagnosis, I have booked an appointment with a private dermatologist but it isn't for 2 weeks and I've googled myself into a state that I have melanoma on my ear.

I think I'd say that I've had this brown patch for a couple of years, it's never bothered me and I've barely noticed it- its never bled or scabbed and it seems to be just one tan colour and it's totally flat- if I run my finger over it I can't feel it but this week my ear was dry and when itching it I drew attention to it and now I can't stop worrying after delving into google.

Has anyone has anything that looks similar and can you share what it was? I'm currently 37 weeks pregnancy and have just convinced myself I'm not going to be around for my kids 🥺

Nobody can diagnose except a dermatologist but I just wanted to say that worst case scenario it is melanoma there are treatments now that weren’t available just ten years ago.
Take one step at a time and try not to catastrophise.
I have melanoma myself.
There are so many different possibilities all you can do is see someone as soon as possible, which you are, and take it from there.
Easier said than done I know but it really is the only advice.

Thank you, I really appreciate your time to reply and I’m sending love to you that you are all healed soon!

Skin changes in pregnancy are pretty normal, there's a whole list of them. You're doing the right thing in getting a private check up.

Why are you going private? Your GP will refer you for an appt within two weeks. I’d see the GP anyway as they may be able to put your mind at rest

Because I worried that a referral from the gp to hospital might take weeks and my baby is due in 3 weeks so I wanted to see someone soon. I might still try and make a regular gp appointment for next week but I thought they would just send me on as they don’t have the knowledge with moles.

You'll probably be quicker with derm on the nhs tbh and then you won't have to wait two weeks x

I will try and get a GP appointment on Monday and see how quickly they will refer me. Thank you

Is this your second baby in the last 3 years? Same 'not a doctor and won't diagnose' but it does look to be the same colour as a friend's melasma (skin colour change in pregnancy) - hers goes to her ears as well.

I got melasma on my face in pregnancy so could be that

It looks like melasma imo

Book the GP - I went to mine about changes in a mole and he examined it thoroughly with a special torch thingy (🤷) and was able to tell me it was fine without even referring me on. Even if yours decides to do a referral it may still be quite quick.

I understand this is very worrying for you but please use your GP, in my experience they’re very good at judging if it’s serious.
I found the NHS fabulous when I had a melanoma. My DS was only 4 months old, I noticed a change in a mole on a Tuesday evening got a doctors appointment Thursday, the hospital called Friday to say unfortunately they’d no appointments for the following week but booked me for a week Tuesday. It was only 2 weeks after spotting it the offending mole was removed, (it had doubled in size during those 2 weeks!) & a biopsy taken. It returned an aggressive form of malignant melanoma diagnosis, so further outpatient surgery took place to remove every trace of it. Luckily it hadn’t spread anywhere else.
That was 16 years ago and it’s never returned so don’t panic about not seeing your children grow up. It was difficult logistically having treatment and a baby so I understand your worries there.

I’m so glad to hear that yours was fine! I’ve booked in to a dermatology clinic tomorrow for them to look with one of those microscopes. It’s £95 but happy to pay that to be seen sooner as I can’t function with the anxiety 😟 there’s no guarantee I’d get into my GP Monday as I’ve got a growth scan and Consultant and we know how long they take in hospitals! Feel like I can’t even think about the baby at the moment.

Best of luck, I'm sure they'll be able to reassure you.

For those saying it will be quicker on the NHS, that may not be the case. The wait times for dermatology are huge in my area - at least 18 months. Some of the private dermatologists that I contacted had four or five month wait lists. I appreciate that wasn’t for suspected cancer but I have been referred on the two week pathway for a breast lump and my appointment is almost a month after my referral. I’d asked my GP for a private referral and she insisted that the NHS would be very quick but it hasn’t been for me.

Great news about the dermatology clinic tomorrow, OP. Best of luck and p,ease let us know how it goes

it looks like melasma to me too OP. Good luck.

Just wanted to update after coming back from the dermatologist- they said that I have a simple intradermal nevi and some pigmentation but nothing to be concerned about as all benign. Thank you so much for all your messages; I feel like I can focus on baby’s arrival now!

That's great news, and thanks for updating 💪