Any dermatologists here? Df thinks I may have skin cancer?

[WhatShoes4me]

I have a spot in between my breasts that's extremely itchy. I think it was a flat mole before turning red.? Had it a couple of weeks.
I saw a pharmacist who gave me 1% hydrocortisone cream and said see a GP.
A friend has had skin cancer and said she thinks mine is too. But not to worry as it's probably caught early?
My dm had skin cancer in her 50s (as I am now) She lived to old age.
I'm trying not to worry but it's hard not to.
I'll post a pic.
Any advice appreciated. GP appointment is next week.

You definitely need to have it assessed by a medical practitioner. I had something that looked similar to yours, which turned out to be cancer. Thankfully it was all removed, as it was fairly slow growing.

Don't delay. Make an appointment today. Either it will be nothing to worry about, in which case you can relax and stop thinking about it, or it will be something that needs removal. You won't know until you have it looked at.

@Bellabomb thanks for replying. My appointment is next week.

Could be basal cell carcinoma. Malignant, but not life threatening.

@Bellabomb was yours itchy?

I've heard of that. Probably what dm had?

My dermatology consultant doesn’t even class BCCs as cancer any more, as long as they are excised (cut out). I’ve had three done so far, with more to go next year, and the work the NHS clinic does is extremely neat.

The next ones are breast and cheek, which sounds like a fancy restaurant in Mayfair.

Thanks @TheAutumnCrow that makes me feel better if it is that.

Neither a dermatologist nor a GP nor any qualified clinician is permitted to diagnose over the internet or give you any reassurance on the basis of a blurred photo.

You already have an appointment for next week to see a GP who will decide whether you need a referral.

Sometimes, yes, but mostly not.

Mine was an infiltrative basal cell carcinoma.

Although it appears similar outwardly, it's quite possible that yours is something completely different. It might be an infected hair follicle, for example, or an ingrowing hair - or something else.

Thanks for answering.

Hi there , I had melanoma and it didn’t look like that. I hope you get it looked at soon though and I hope it turns out to be nothing .

Thank you
I hope you're ok 🙏

I'm awaiting removal (and testing) for something similar on the side of my nose. It's been there about 18 months and is usually a small shiny lump but it does sort of blister and bleed every few weeks, heal (looks very like yours in the healing stage) and back to shiny lump.

I've seen the dermatologist who said it's likely to be BCC which is much less risky than melanoma. Was told as long as removed within 2 years or so after appearing, over 99% won't have spread.

My dad has had something similar and it was easily treated. I think he had some topical chemotherapy ointment?

I'm 51 if that's relevant. I've always been really careful about protecting my face from the sun (mainly out of vanity) so it's just a bit annoying.

@honeylulu that is a shame especially with you being careful. I don't think my dm used sun protection regularly after hers was removed? Hers was on her face too. She didn't get it again.

I have 2 similar spots on my arm that have been there ages. They don't itch so I haven't worried about them. I'll mention them at the appointment though.

Looks like it's disappearing? Definitely lighter. Hopefully it isn't anything serious? I've been putting the 1% hydrocortisone on for a week now so should probably stop.
It isn't as itchy either.

I’d get it checked ASAP. I had a similar looking one on my leg for a good few years. This year a gut instinct told me to get it checked. Thankfully I did as it was melanoma in situ. I’m having it removed this week. This is not life threatening but left untreated it could have been a lot worse.

@ThatSharpMintSwan I'm glad you got that sorted

Mine's faded a lot. I'll still go on Friday though.

Latest pic

I had a mark on my back. The GP didn’t like the look of it so sent me for a two week appointment. The doctor said it looked suspicious and so I was scheduled for having it removed. The results showed no cancer, just a normal skin mark. The moral to my story is, even a specialist doctor can’t always tell whether your mark is normal or not.

@Garamousalata that's good yours was fine.

Noone on Mumsnet knows frankly. So you need to get it checked professionally

For moles they say to follow the ABCDE rule. A: is it asymmetrical. If you imagine a line down the centre are both sides the same. B: Border, is the border irregular and uneven. C: Colour, is it an unusual colour D: Diameter, is it bigger than the end of a pencil and E: evolving, is it changing over time or getting bigger. You'd need to get it biopsied through your GP though to know for sure

I've just been referred to dermatology photography and had loads of images taken. I was fast tracked due to high family BCC history & lived in Australia. It could be keratosis or solar lentigo but could be BCC etc. AI will anylise mine & results in 2 weeks.