Scared I Might Have Melanoma?

[cyprus2012]

Hi I went to my gp two weeks ago about a mole very near my left armpit on the crease of the pec muscle and the armpit itself so when I adduct my arm the mole is sitting underneath. However I've had it for years along with other moles as I come from a family who have a lot of moles them selves. This mole was probably sticking out to the size of a garden pea and had little black dots in it was very soft too with afew cracks. I went to my gp and he said it was benign and he will remove it if I wanted it removed so I agreed. I went back on Friday he removed it and still said it 100 per cent benign but he is sending it off as there is pigmentation in it. How can a gp be so sure and still send it off. I was dark brown never bled itched or anything? But I'm so scared of the results now I feel sick

[daffy654]

All moles that are removed are routinely tested. My daughter had one taken from her back when she was 8 and despite malignant melanoma being very rare in children they tested hers.

[mallyh]

sounds like you have a very good doctor who is just making sure .

[Sqad]

Prevention against any future chance of litigation I would assume.

[rockyracoon]

I had two moles removed about 4 years ago, both were sent for testing. Although the doc thought both were completely harmless one of them of them caused a little niggle of doubt. Both came back clear :)

I'm sure you'll be fine.

[jomifl]

Having been told I had lung cancer when I didn't I can assure you that it is better to only be told bad news when it is bad news. Your GP is trying not to alarm you unnecessarily so go along with him don't be alarmed unnecessarily..

[Carakeel]

Cyprus, my ratter15 had a very large mole taken off his back only a short while ago. I had been asking him for years to have it looked at. (OK, nagging!) When we moved and he changed doctors, he went to show it to the new doc and was advised it be taken off. It turned out not to be a melanoma. Knowing this has been well worth the hassle. Many years ago, when I was a child of 10, I had one removed from my back because the surgeon thought it might be a melanoma. It was and, despite being removed, I later developed bone cancer. But that was in the 60s! Today medicine has made remarkable advances and testing is so much better. It always pays to take it off and have it examined, even if just to calm your fears.
Hiya Sqad! I think you are being a bit snide here! All moles that are excised are now sent off to the lab. It is always the best thing to do and besides, it is better to be safe than sorry!

[boxtops]

Cyprus, your GP's doing exactly the right thing - far better to be safe than sorry. He's not sending it off because he's suspicious, ALL removed moles are checked by the labs these days - I've had it happen myself.

[Sqad]

Why is this so boxy?

"To prevent successful litigation."

[Peter Pedant]

cyprus - path departments of hospital have other functions than

'to prevent successful litigation'.

I had three - one recurrent rodent ulcer and two (er what used to be called) senile warts, the first one need excision and the other two can be left.

ztop being scared - melanoma while serious is pretty uncommmon.

[2sp_]

I've had a couple of moles removed and didn't give them a second thought until I got a letter from the hospital to say that they were benign. I hadn't actually thought they would be nasty. Apparently my GP routinely sends moles away for testing and hadn't mentioned it, so I think he must have thought it would be fine too.

I'm sure you will be fine. Please stop worrying.

[boxtops]

sqad, that's extraordinarily cynical. I would prefer to say "to ensure that the initial visual diagnosis is correct" - in case it's not (and I don't want to scare the OP), treatment can start straight away.

[Sqad]

boxy....LOL.....;-)

[Brinjal]

Check on soles of feet and between toe. Sneaky hiding places for melanoma

[cyprus2012]

I have quite afew mole and have been sun burnt afew times in my life so that's why I'm scared il have melanoma

[Peter Pedant]

um it is the number of severe sun burn episodes before the age of 11
I had one

stop worrying

[beso]

Worrying is know to have no effect whatsoever on the outcome of a biopsy so stop wasting your life and just wait for the results.

[crystalglobe]

My daughter had a dark patch on her skin,the Dr was sure it was nothing but still sent her to the hospital,and it was nothing!. But they do this ,just normal practise.Try not to worry,as you said it`s not bleeding,itching ect. x