This mole - ? Melanoma? (Pics)

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

I have a mole which I don’t pay much attention to - it’s on my shoulder so I don’t tend to see it. Tonight I have been wearing a mohair jumper which is a bit itchy, so I had a good peer at the mole in the bathroom mirror. It looks nasty and possibly more raised than it was previously. DP has private health care through work which covers me so I have booked an appointment for a video call (and sent images) for Monday. I’ve fallen down a Melanoma rabbit hole now - does anyone know if this looks like it? Sorry for the gross images in the harsh kitchen light!

Thanks for the kind replies - but no idea why people need to be so rude, I assume this post ended up on active. I find medical stuff extremely difficult and find it very hard to advocate for myself.

I saw the video call GP today, and he wants me to see dermatology. I am not covered for private dermatology and my NHS GP will not accept his referral letter to action. I need to make a surgery appointment but they only release bookable ones on a Wednesday and it will be into November/December before I can be seen. They do release limited same day appointments at 8am but I don’t know anyone who ever got one of those! I will call on Wednesday.

I go see a private dermatologist at our local Circle hospital. No referral. I just ring up and say I am self pay and they book me in! Costs £250 for full check over and if needed some cryotherapy. Do you have spare funds? This is the easiest way to access treatment.

I agree with others, it looks like a SK. I have several zapped a year, otherwise they grow bigger, crustier and darker 🤢

The private hospital here doesn’t seem to offer it from what I can see unfortunately.

I have loads of SKs, am a freckly redhead and a had lot of childhood sunburn. I booked in for a full body mole mapping with a private dermatologist. She was so thorough, I was very reassured. It cost £250, which included taking pictures to establish any future changes and freezing off a couple of skin tags. Would 100% recommend if you can afford it because although I had taken several to the GP, they never seemed remotely interested and only ever looked at the one I was pointing out, nothing holistic, gave no advice on how to spot the ones to worry about, and made me feel a bit of a nuisance.

The only vaguely similar thing I can find here is Boots mole check service which I think would punt me back to needing dermatology referral which can only be done through my NHS GP and a lengthy wait.

Book a private dermatologist.
Appointments are quick.
The reassurance will be worth the money.

Where about are you?

So the GP has refused to refer you, is that right? Or have I got it the wrong way round?
Is there not a 2 week cancer referral pathway for moles if they think you need it? I know there is for the breast clinic.
I hope I didn't come across as aggressive, I don't think we mean to, you just need a friendly nudge in the right direction. You did the right thing by having that video call. I was freaking out as I had a black thing on my foot, got into google hell but thought to leave it for a bit, as I did stand on Lego! Turns out it fell off, it was a blood blister, so I'm glad I didn't waste the gp's time for that!
Altho I don't understand why they couldn't see you in person, especially for a mole as it's a typical red flag area.

@MissyPants The video call today was with a private GP who I can access via my partner’s work health insurance. I was able to send photos in advance. He referred me, but the health insurance does not cover me for private dermatology, only my partner as it’s his policy via his work. The referral letter says it can also be passed to my own NHS GP, but they won’t accept it without me having an appointment with a doctor in the surgery. Appointments are very difficult to get. (I don’t think the two week wait is actually a thing in Scotland either) I think I last saw a GP in person pre Covid, they don’t make it easy!

@Gummybear23 i did a web chat with the private hospital and the first appointment is mid November. I’ll try my luck at the GP first. I suspect they have people who do “clinics” at the private hospital (and are mainly at the NHS hospital!) rather than staff there every day.

Just popping back to the thread to say I finally had the GP appointment today - in the meantime the mole had turned completely black, then disintegrated. She took photos to send to dermatology, along with the original photos I had, but said she was confident it (and another similar looking thing on my right breast) was SK and benign.

Good news, you must be relieved!

That sounds positive @Judystilldreamsofhorses and even better that the mole has disintegrated.

Hmm, just coming back to this thread to say I have had a letter saying dermatology do want to see me. The wait time for "urgent - suspicion of cancer" is 25 weeks, and for "routine" is 125 weeks, but it doesn't say which path I am on. I'm in Scotland and there is no "two week wait" here like in England. So now we wait.

Gosh, that’s a long wait either way @Judystilldreamsofhorses Could you self fund an appointment with a private dermatologist, for peace of mind?

I could, but I couldn’t fund private treatment if I needed it so there doesn’t seem much point. If it did turn out to be sinister I would be back on the NHS wait.

Weirdly my sibling has just been diagnosed with skin cancer but is fast tracking through it all as they have private medical insurance - they have surgery scheduled and then will need skin grafts and it should be sorted.

I might ring the surgery and see if they know more.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses I have a relative and a friend who both needed an operation on the NHS but didn’t want to wait, so booked a private consultation. In each instance they said that they were going to be self funded and they both had a quote for their procedures.
The consultants at the hospital were the same ones for the NHS, and they were both escalated on the NHS lists and didn’t need to go privately.

Good luck.

I rang the doctors about a suspicious mole at the beginning of August, took until a couple of weeks ago to finally get a diagnosis despite being put on the two week pathway at the beginning of September, mine was abnormal cells but not yet cancerous and I need another procedure to take a bigger margin to be on the safe side but it was shocking how long the whole thing took!

There is a 2 week wait for cancer care in Scotland. Unfortunately due to back log it can be longer but it is still a target.
Mike clinics operate this and I was seen 2 weeks to the day this year. It was a one stop shop and the mole was removed at the appointment.
It may depend on your health board.

I'm Grampian and the wait times are available online - 25 weeks is the average time for 90% of people to see dermatology if they are referred as "urgent - suspicion of cancer". I rang my surgery this morning and I am on the "routine" pathway which is a relief. The website says 125 weeks wait for that.

God that's a ridiculous wait. I was at the doctors two weeks ago for the same - dodgy mole on shoulder that's grown . I've got appointment 6th January for it to be removed and sent for testing. Also in Scotland.

I went private a couple of weeks ago as I had noticed a mole I had seemed to have changed and got darker, the specialist took it and another mole I flagged to them off in the same appointment, after looking at them both with the light thing and saying they looked ok but if I wanted them removed they could, and biopsied them both. He's an expert in skin cancer so it was somewhat reassuring while I waited.

All clear lab result within the week which he emailed to me and I went back to have the stitches out the following week. It wasn't cheap but it was worth it to go into Xmas without worry hanging over me.

Aw I wasn't even told I'd need to go back for stitches removal, I just presumed they'd be dissolving. Was it painful after or not bad? I'm just planning on heading to work straight after.

If they didn't suggest you come back, yours may not need removing, maybe worth double checking though! It was a bit painful the same day, but better the next. Painkiller sorted it out though.