Sublungual melanoma fears - brown mark under toenail while on holiday and feeling anxious

[buzzheath]

Just looking for some support. I'm on holiday and I've spotted this brown mark under my pinky toenail. I've freaked myself out after goggling it could be sublungual melanoma - a particularly deadly cancer that grows under the toenail. I've booked a GP appointment for as soon as I'm back from holiday in a few days but the anxiety is spiralling. Have uploaded a few pics in case anyone has had something similar. I'm 34 female, non-smoker, south Asian, in case relevant. Thanks so much.

I don't remember any specific trauma to the nail but do have a habit of cutting my toenails quite short if that makes a difference.

I had a very similar mark under my toe nail this time last year. I was so scared as I was fast tracked to see a dermatologist and then to have surgery to remove it. It wasn’t cancer. This type of cancer is very rare. Hope you don’t have to wait too long to find out.

Was it your pinky toenail too?

They had to do surgery? Did you find out what it was?

Is it not just a small bruise or a fungal infection?

They removed my toe nail and sent that along with tissue samples from under the nail away to pathology. Mine was my middle toe. The test were inconclusive. Not a tumour, not fungal and not a bruise.

Could be fungal. I had brown marks when I had a bad fungal infection- I saw a GP and private podiatrist and took the string anti fungal meds for a few months. You’re right to see a GP to check, they’re always happy to check moles (I had a suspected BCC - v quick referral to dermatologist and it was a wart - on my nose - all done within a couple of weeks on NHS).

Thanks for responding! Glad it was ok in the end! Did they remove the whole toenail? Was it a very painful procedure? Did your toenail grow back?

They did remove the whole toe nail under a local. It did hurt. Particularly the injection for local anaesthetic. Didn’t last long though. Nail grew back really quickly.

Thank you! Did the brown mark stay away once they removed the nail and a new one grew back.

It has been a year and the brown marks have not grown back.
I hope you are managing to enjoy your holiday. I know how it feels to be in limbo, but try to stay positive.

I had a small brown mark on my little toenail at the beginning of this year. I initially panicked and decided to give it 2 weeks before I made a GP apt to see if it disappeared. I also took photos. When I compared them it was clear it was moving up the nail/ growing out and was all gone within 2/3 months.

Thanks for responding! Did it look like mine?

Another pic

Mine looked like this and was fungal

i put loads of clotizamole (not sure of spelling) on and after a couple of weeks the whole nail just got so soft it fell off. Grew back very quickly and no brown mark.

Your pic hasn't posted yet 😥mine was a little more defined but in the same place.

I’ve had this sort of melanoma and mine was a line that started thin and got thicker over time. You are doing the right thing getting it checked but it is rare so it almost certainly not. It looks more like a bruise but would take weekly photos and keep your appointment when you’re back - but don’t panic or let it spoil your holiday.

Have you had tight or new shoes on recently?