Top dermatologist freaked out upon suspicious mole

[Anonymous]

I've had invasive melanoma (plus severe and moderate dysplastic moles) so I totally understand your anxiety. It might make you feel better to know that, if I were you, I wouldn't be overly concerned. Mine had been itchy for years and even bled a year before it was identified/removed - even though it was invasive, I am totally in the clear now. It's actually all fine when caught early, which it sounds like you have. If you didn't have itching or bleeding, I think you will be fine even if it is melanoma. I now see a melanoma specialist at INOVA Fairfax. I think regular derms get a bit excited about suspicious moles. I would go see a skin cancer specialist from now on, if I were you.

Also, the waiting for biopsy results is the worst part. You just have to try and keep yourself occupied. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Echoing what others have said, if it is new, it likely won't end up being a big deal even if it is melanoma. I had one removed from my arm years ago. They also caught it early, stage 0/1, so they just had to take out a little more skin around it bit by bit until it came back clear. It required a Xanax to get through, but nothing scarier than stitches was involved!

[Anonymous]

OP if you had ignored it, I'd be more concerned. The fact it's new and you got it checked is a good thing. I have been told most melanomas are quite treatable when detected early. The few cases of people I knew who had quite a battle told me they went into denial or life got too busy and they delayed seeing a doctor.

I know there is a rare form of aggressive melanoma that looks like a pimple. That freaked me out and if I ever have a pimple that doesn't go away in a few weeks I'm getting it biopsied! I have a family history of skin cancer and have already had some pre-cancerous growths removed.

Thinking of you OP. Please keep us posted and be good to yourself! Do whatever will help keep you calm (that is safe and legal

[Anonymous]

A new mole is worth checking but not panicking about. As others have said -- if it's bad, you still caught it early, and the odds are overwhelmingly on your side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same thing happened to me. I have about 50 moles and see a derm twice a year for a skin exam. I had one mole that was tiny, black and raised and new. Derm was concerned but thought it was probably ok. Turned out it was one step below a melanoma. I had to have a wide excision, about 3-4 inch scar. It was diagnosed as a severely dysplastic mole. And it was tiny and didn't have any weird colorations. But the key was that it was very different than my other moles, even though it was small.

It's been almost a decade, and you can barely see the wide excision scar. I still go for my twice a year exams, and no scary moles have been observed.

There is the (correct) school of thought that says it's either cancer or it's not, and every dysplastic mole doesn't turn into cancer. Docs make so much money on surgeries like this.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9968857

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: OP if you had ignored it, I'd be more concerned. The fact it's new and you got it checked is a good thing. I have been told most melanomas are quite treatable when detected early. The few cases of people I knew who had quite a battle told me they went into denial or life got too busy and they delayed seeing a doctor.

I know there is a rare form of aggressive melanoma that looks like a pimple. That freaked me out and if I ever have a pimple that doesn't go away in a few weeks I'm getting it biopsied! I have a family history of skin cancer and have already had some pre-cancerous growths removed.

Thinking of you OP. Please keep us posted and be good to yourself! Do whatever will help keep you calm (that is safe and legal

The hallmark of these kind of melanomas is very rapid growth over a very short period of time. Keep that in mind.

[Anonymous]

Another good article about how people are being scammed:

http://femininecollective.com/exposing-fraud-melanoma-just-mole/

Good to keep in mind.

[Anonymous]

I don't know who the OP saw but Jennifer DeSimone in Fairfax specializes in melanoma. She is a lovely person as well- incredible bedside manor, thorough and patient. Cannot recommend her enough.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have recommendations in Md for a good derm to see for mole checks? Who do people see at Hopkins?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know who the OP saw but Jennifer DeSimone in Fairfax specializes in melanoma. She is a lovely person as well- incredible bedside manor, thorough and patient. Cannot recommend her enough.

Op- I really hope that all goes well for you. Hugs and best wishes.

[Anonymous]

The lit my demo gives out wants the mole before it gets bigger than an pencil easer.

[Anonymous]

So, is this Top Doc going to be named?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, is this Top Doc going to be named?

Doesn't seem like it, but not sure why it matters (other than the title of the post). It sounds like the derm was reasonable and cautious and that OP was reading into the demeanor rather than the actual diagnostic approach.

[Anonymous]

I'd like to know the top derm too. Because I have lots of derm issues.

[Anonymous]

So many detms are very focused on cosmetic procedures. That's why I want to know the name.