I'm worried DH definitely has skin cancer and its spreading (dilemma)

[Flyonthewindscreen]

I posted yesterday about being anxious that DH had been given what the receptionist called a "fast track" hospital appointment following a visit to his GP about a suspicious mole.

He got an appointment in the post for the 15th Dec today and made my blood run cold as he left for his work xmas do as he cheerily said "i don't think it is a mole anyway as there are other red spots coming up around it". I had googled melonoma before it got too scary and i stopped but I'm sure this sounded like a skin cancer that was spreading. I didn't say anything to DH as didn't want to spoil his big night out.

But now what should I do a) tell DH in the morning that he needs to make an urgent appointment with his GP to see if the hospital could see him any sooner or b) not say anything as the GP might not be able to get a faster appointment than the "fast track" 15th Dec one, in which case I am just going to put DH through more anxiety for no reason. After all (please god) I could be wrong.

Any advice gratefully received

the fast track probably is the soonest appointment. i think i would leave it for now and wait and see whatis said.

how about making a telephone appointment to discuss with the gp who saw him, its less time consuming and gp can then advise you if you need to do anything more?

I don't think you could get the appt any quicker than the 15th. They certainly don't hang around with suspicious moles.

Just because it is suspicious however, doesn't mean it is automatically a melanoma. It could simply be a mole and they want to rule stuff out. It could be a slow-growing form of skin cancer that is treatable. It could be a lot of things, so try not to worry.

When DH had a suspicious mole, he was seen 7 days later at the hospital. Wait and see. There are lots of other things it could be - and not all skin cancers are like melanoma.
They won't mess about at the hospital appt. DH had his mole zapped there and then. We had an agonising 2 week wait until January to find out the results from the biopsy.

My dad was diagnosed with malignant melanoma over 30 years ago. He went to the doctors because my mother sent him after realising the big moles on his back were bleeding. He had surgery, radiotherapy, chemiotherapy, the lot. He's still alive now and in his sixties. I hope that this helps somehow.

Thanks for this advice, tbh I thought I would get replies advocating phoning the GP immediately and pressing for an emergency appointment, but think now I will not make dramatic announcements to DH in morning re "it could be spreading" but instead ask if he would mind if I phoned the surgery to see if there was any possibility of being seen by the hospital sooner.

DP had a funny mole and got apt within the week removed and all fine. Same as my uncle who had funny mole on his back he had it removed and all was fine.
Fast track doesn't mean it's bad news.

I had an appointment with gp on a friday and seen the consultant the next Wedesday. I spoke to my friend who is a nurse and she said they are trying to see people quicker now for stats and even working weekends.

Try not to worry.

Mine was removed on the day I had my first fast track appointment (it changed colour, grew, started flaking, was itching - major alarm bells!!) turns out it had precancerous changes but they were nipped in the bud by taking it out (I posted on your other thread but realise now I was behind the times!)

Also some moles just do weird things sometimes they can get eczema or infections, or if you accidentally scratch or cut them they go funny for ages. Either way I'm pretty sure they'll remove it on the day and two weeks later you'll find out what it is.

Try not to worry. The whole reason they do this is to get in there asap and get rid of it if there is any cancer there.