New mole on foot - can I wait a month before seeing dr?

[ConnorTraceptive]

My podiatrist noticed a mle on my foot that seems to have appeared in the last 6-8 months and suggested I get it checked to be on the safe side.

I can get in to see the dr tomorrow, however if I wait for four weeks I can get an appointment with the dr at the surgery who is also a dermatologist at the local hospital. Ideally I would prefer to see her as I would be more confident in her diagnosis but I'm wondering if it's wise to leave it that long?

The mole in itself is flat, light brown, fairly symetrical and not bigger than 5mm so does not look sinister but I'm concerned if I see regular dr tomorrow and he says it's fine I'll still be worried and want to see other dr anyway????

WWYD??

GPs have a pretty low threshold for referring moles on to the dermatologists,so you are pretty safe with seeing them, and I wouldn't wait a month, just in case.

Your skin does change as you get older, try not to panic. Does it look like a normal mole?

Do pop to the GP though

Just looks like a large freckle about 2.5mm big.

It doesn't sound like it could be anything serious.
I get about 10 new moles every year, inherited it from my father, so I don't get freaked out by them.
I got a couple few years ago that grew fast, were dark and irregular, went to see dermatologist, she had a look under special lamp, said they were fine.
I don't bother about the small, light-coloured, regular ones.
But if you never get them and are worried...can you go to see GP tomorrow so he'll put your mind at rest and the dermatologist next month?

the podiatrist made a big thing about how cancerous moles on the foot are the most aggressive nice and reasurring

What I was trying to say is that I don't think you're supposed to run to the doctor every time you get a new mole, only if it seems suspicious- ie irregular colour, borders, bleeding, itching etc.

Go tomorrow and get referred, you can insist.

Don't wait a month.

I don't think it sounds like melanoma but if it is you don't want to wait another month.

Hope it's nothing.

Btw not even a derm cxan tell jst by looking, it needs a biopsy - and NOT a shave one. Proper excisional biopsy.

But a derm can prob reassure you in most cases. You don't want to end up looking like a swiss cheese.

Ah, it's true that when I went to see the dermatologist and mentioned a mole my son has on his foot almost since birth, she told me that it's important to check out suspicious ones in children as they grow v.fast, but I don't know if she was alarmed by the fact that it was on foot or rather that we were talking about a young child iyswim.

Are they really more aggressive? Or is it that they are the ones easy to miss ie if they are between toes etc, so by the time you finally check them out cancer might be advanced? I don't know.

Anyway, it's neither here nor there. Your mole doesn't sound sinister at all, but if it will give you a peace of mind than go to GP. If he thinks it's suspicious he'll refer you urgently to the dermatologist.

Oh, really, Flight? I mean obviously they cannot make cancer diagnosis without biopsy, but I thought they can have a look and tell you whether it's a suspicious one or not? I mean you don't get biopsied every time you go to dermato with a mole?

I'm not entirely sure if the acral lentigious type is more aggressive or not, but it's certainly jus as bad as the other sorts...I know (of) several people who have had melanoma diagnosed on toes, and are still here - but often minus a toe, etc.

That's from talking to people on the internet though, not in my day to day life - it isn't that common!

Well I've heard that it's a bit of a myth that they are more agressive just easily over looked.

I will go tomorrow to be on the safe side. I would hate for a week to go by where I didn't have a visit to the surgery for one of us!

No, Winny, don't panic - I didn't mean derms are wrong all the time, they are usually fine, but they can and do miss things - you hear a lot of 'my derm thought it was nothing but agreed to remove it, and sure enough...' from people.

I just mean they can only make a very educated guess. But it's usually good enough, iyswim.
Just if you are ever very worried, you need to make them cut it out.

Last time I had saw the dermatologist gp she used a dermascope and was fairly confident it was nothing from that

You don't expect to get cancer on your foot, especially not underneath it...it's hardly a sun worshipping area really, though I guess people lie with their soles up on the beach.

It's more common in dark skinned people than the usual type of melanoma, because it occurs in places where their skin is lighter I think. Might be talking crap though!

She did remove it though at my insistence and it was indeed nothing.

The rule is not to take a chance.
MM is prognostically driven by depth.
It tends to start with a radial growth phase then move into a vertical pattern, and that's when it hits the lower parts of the dermis - vascular or lymph system etc.

So getting it out early is crucial. (she says, putting off getting one of her own checked out)

You are allowed to have confidence in your derm, Connor - she sounds good

Oh, yes, dermascope, that's what she used.

Oh, well, I can't panic, I literally get like 10, maybe 15 new moles every year and I'm only 30. A lot of them follow the same pattern of starting as a little dark freckle and go on to become bigger and irregular, but stop growing after few months and don't change after that. Some like that I had for 15 years or more, so I hope it's ok.
Maybe will go and see dermatologist for a check up, though.

Thanks for the thread Connor- it made me think it would be wise to get checked out.
I'm sure you'll be ok tomorrow, let us know anyway.

It's odd but I'm quite religious about using sun cream but I don't think I've ever put it on the soles of my feet and I bet most people don't either. (mental note to cream all of foot in future)

You're right fliight deffo shouldn't take chances with this stuff

Winny, no, don't panic

It sounds as though you are prone to dysplastic naevi, which is something some people have a lot of - just means a certain type of mole.

Although it does put you at slightly higher risk of a malignant one at some point, it doesn't mean it's going to happen, and being so aware of them you are very likely to catch it early, which is the best way.

Hope you never have to worry about it

Will do winny - I think Superdrug now has moleclinics where you can get a thorough check over and they'll tell you if you need any looking at more seriously

Connor I am feeling evangelical, best mate just lost her fight with it

I need to do something with the past 9 months of googling

Sure you will be fine.

Sme superdrugs now have mole clinics, which is great

Ours doesn't though - but my old surgery does. One of the docs is a specialist kind of thing.

You're very well educated on this topic fliight - thanks for taking the time to post and to everyone else who's offered advice. Tis much appreciated