Not coping at all. Urgent referral (Scotland) for mole.

[Sportacus17]

Hello all,

I wonder if anyone can offer me any advice please. I suffer from
anxiety at the best time times but I am consumed by right now.

On Wednesday I visited the Mole Clinic (no GP appointments for 3 weeks) to have a small pink mole on my head looked at. Dermoscopy images were taken and sent to a dermatologist who wrote up a report that I recieved today - urgent referral for in person dermatology appointment needed.

it said “primary diagnosis - benign nevus (mildly to moderately atypical)”. “Differential diagnosis - premalignant/severely atypical nevus.”

I called and spoke to a nurse who said that it’s because it’s new and on my scalp they want it assessing in person urgently. I feel so conflicted by all of this and my anxiety is truly overwhelming me.

i have sent the report to the GP and the receptionist said “we will show it to the gp and someone will get back to you AT SOME POINT”. I reiterated that it’s an urgent referral.

i have two very young daughters and the thought of something possibly being wrong with me and leaving them is truly overwhelming me. I know I sound weak - I suffer from anxiety and was in the process of seeking help for this when the mole thing took over. I also think I have ocd.

i am in Scotland so the two week wait doesn’t actually apply, it could be more.

And I’m meant to start a new job in three weeks!

my questions are:

would it be with phoning private places tomorrow to try and be seen sooner ? We could possibly stretch to a private in person consultation and excision. I live near Edinburgh so am in a Storm Eowyn Red zone - I may be waiting till Monday to speak to people anyway.

my thoughts are that is there is any doubt about the thing on my head, it must come off and be assessed. I would prefer to have it removed and be told it’s benign than be told to “keep an eye on it”. I cannot cope with that at all. Can I ask them to take it off even if they are fairly sure (at the in person assessment) that it’s benign?

Thank you in advance.

The first word is benign.

You will be fine.

Benign moles are noncancerous skin growths. They are typically symmetrical with a rounded shape and a smooth edge. A mole is a small collection of skin cells. It's also known as a nevus.

Calm down. They think they know it’s benign but want to check it, and there are other factors for urgent referral. Your age for one; if you were 20, it wouldn’t be an urgent referral. You’re older, so it is. Doesn’t mean anything.

Benign and premalignant means this needs looking and perhaps removing but is not currently a threat.

Definitely focus on getting some support for your anxiety alongside following up this mole

Thank you for those of who have taken the time to reply. I spoke to the GP today and they have made the referral without making me come in (I had emailed them the report).

I do definitely need help with my anxiety and will make an appointment for this next week. The thing that worrries me is that this mole is new , it was not there a few months ago. I didn’t think you could randomly acquire moles in your late thirties

I don’t think I put my age in my Op?!

Gently, because it is obviously unsettling, but you are spiralling out of proportion here. People “acquire random moles” throughout their lives. Even on an urgent cancer referral pathway 93% of patients don’t have cancer.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8378565/#:~:text=2WW%20referrals%20result%20in%20a,the%2093%25%20who%20do%20not.

Don’t start speculating about treatment and monitoring for something you don’t yet know about. They don’t take risks with skin cancer, they will remove and test anything they are worried about.

Thank you @User236792 this is what I need to hear. Thanks

You said you have two children. It would be quite unusual for you for be 18/19/20 and have two kids, so I made an informed guess.

Hey OP
this is me, too.
I visited the mole clinic and I have the same report, my mole is on my leg.
im a mess. Waiting to be seen via the nhs and its taken weeks.
im so upset. How did you get on?
thank you.

I ended up paying for a private derm appt and he looked at it very closely and was not concerned at all. He was quite cross with the mole clinic for worrying me but doing nothing to help me. I had it checked again recently (about 6m after last check) and it hasn’t changed at all. So almost definitely fine.