Should I panic over dark line in toenail?

[FridayNight1975]

Hello,

There’s an article on the DM (I know!), today about a man that had a line on his toenail and it turned out to be a melanoma.

I have had one for 14 years and i also have a fungal infection on that nail.

I have read that a line on the nail can be related to a fungal infection, so that would make sense.

Also, it says it’s a very aggressive form of cancer and I’ve had it for 14 years, so something would have happened to me by now, right?

I’m going to get an appointment with my GP, but suddenly i’m feeling very panicky and i don’t know if i should.

If you’ve had a nail biopsy, was it painful?

Thanks!

It's most likely the fungal infection. The fact that you've had it for 14 years makes it very, very unlikely that it's anything sinister.

No reason to panic but do get it checked out. Fungal nails are more a cosmetic nuisance than a health issue, but the doctor may have some suggestions. I've had one for 10+ years now and topical treatments haven't made a bit of difference. I'm not willing to risk the side effects of an oral antifungal for a silly discolored toenail but I may look into laser treatments.

Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Hi, I had a black line on my big toe for quite a while, I stupidly googled and found it could be a sign of melanoma but it just grew out in the end.

Thanks, i just requested an appt with my GP.

I have actually started a laser treatment for the fungal infection, so i’ll check with the GP if it’s safe to keep doing it.