Dysplastic Nevi? Moles removed...

[Anonymous]

My sister recently had moles removed, and one of them turned out to have basal cell. I decided to go to a dermatologist to have my moles checked after this. The dermatologist removed 6 dysplastic nevi to biopsy. I've read the literature and info. on atypical moles and have they increase likelihood of cancer but many don't become cancerous. But waiting for biopsy results is scary. Anyone have several atypical moles removed without any of them being pre-cancerous or cancerous?

[Anonymous]

I've had a ton of atypical nevuses (moles) removed and none have been cancerous or pre-cancerous. I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

I've had one invasive melanoma and one mild dysplastic.

Yes, waiting for biopsy results is the WORST! You just have to try and keep busy.

Watching my moles is just part of my life now. I fully expect to get another melanoma at some stage since I have a few things that look similar to the invasive one. But as time goes on, it just becomes a part of life and I don't stress about it. In a lot of ways, watching for cancer on your skin is much easier than wondering what's going on inside!

[Anonymous]

I've had 6 taken off and only one was mildly/moderately dysplastic. I go every year and the lop off a few. I have pretty bad health anxiety so it's very stressful for me, but afterwards its sort of one less thing I have to worry about. And now I feel like I know which ones to watch out for, so I can keep an eye on them.

[Anonymous]

Melanoma is rare and often genetic, especially before age 40. Later in life, you can have what's diagnosed as a superficial spreading melanoma, that doesn't get invasive (think McCain).

All these cancer checks are very stressful and cause health anxiety in lots of people Personally, I think it sucks and think that it's a way of generating income. Pay attention to your body and look for changes. If it makes you go 'hmmm', check it out.

That's my opinion; ymmv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Melanoma is rare and often genetic, especially before age 40. Later in life, you can have what's diagnosed as a superficial spreading melanoma, that doesn't get invasive (think McCain).

All these cancer checks are very stressful and cause health anxiety in lots of people Personally, I think it sucks and think that it's a way of generating income. Pay attention to your body and look for changes. If it makes you go 'hmmm', check it out.

That's my opinion; ymmv.

I get where you're coming from but this is bad advice. Skin checks are not just for docs to try to make money. I had a teeny, tiny flat mole appear at 38 and only noticed it because it was on my pale stomach. If it had been on my freckled limbs I would never have noticed it. The skin cancer screening app said it was normal. Good thing I insisted the doc cut it off. It was moderately dysplastic meaning already on the road to melanoma. People mistakenly think skin cancer isn't deadly when in reality melanoma kills lots of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Melanoma is rare and often genetic, especially before age 40. Later in life, you can have what's diagnosed as a superficial spreading melanoma, that doesn't get invasive (think McCain).

All these cancer checks are very stressful and cause health anxiety in lots of people Personally, I think it sucks and think that it's a way of generating income. Pay attention to your body and look for changes. If it makes you go 'hmmm', check it out.

That's my opinion; ymmv.

I get where you're coming from but this is bad advice. Skin checks are not just for docs to try to make money. I had a teeny, tiny flat mole appear at 38 and only noticed it because it was on my pale stomach. If it had been on my freckled limbs I would never have noticed it. The skin cancer screening app said it was normal. Good thing I insisted the doc cut it off. It was moderately dysplastic meaning already on the road to melanoma. People mistakenly think skin cancer isn't deadly when in reality melanoma kills lots of people.

It's either cancer or it's not. Dysplastic moles do not always move to melanoma - that's a myth. Some do, some don't. There have been cases of people being scarred all over having moles removed due to this kind of thinking.

Melanoma does not kill lots of people. In addition, they are finding that melanoma rates skyrocketing is linked to overzealous sunscreen use, which makes people deficient in vitamin D. It's the lack of vitamin D that is starting to be linked with melanoma rates increasing.

[Anonymous]

If your derm is willing to remove 6 moles and 3 or less actually come back as something you need a new derm. It's unethical to remove non cancerous moles just to charge insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your derm is willing to remove 6 moles and 3 or less actually come back as something you need a new derm. It's unethical to remove non cancerous moles just to charge insurance.

But you don't know if it's cancerous for sure unless/until the removed mole is biopsired, right?

[Anonymous]

*biopsied

[Anonymous]

Wrong. Melanoma is the number one cancer killer between ages 17-44.

And, you can call a mole dysplastic just by how it looks to our eyes but it's what shows up under the microscope that tells you to what degree the dysplastic cells have already started to actually change toward cancer. Severly dysplastic moles are sometimes just referred to as early melanoma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your derm is willing to remove 6 moles and 3 or less actually come back as something you need a new derm. It's unethical to remove non cancerous moles just to charge insurance.

But you don't know if it's cancerous for sure unless/until the removed mole is biopsired, right?

Good dermatologists have many visual and scientific (scope) ways of determining the risk before cutting.

Again, 1/6 is horrible. Most derms would say you were needlessly butchered. A good derm should have at least a 50% rate of picking moles that are atypical to melanoma.

[Anonymous]

Butchered? The initial cut is tiny with usually just a speck of a scar. They don't cut down into your flesh at all until after a biopsy of the tiny first slice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Melanoma is rare and often genetic, especially before age 40. Later in life, you can have what's diagnosed as a superficial spreading melanoma, that doesn't get invasive (think McCain).

All these cancer checks are very stressful and cause health anxiety in lots of people Personally, I think it sucks and think that it's a way of generating income. Pay attention to your body and look for changes. If it makes you go 'hmmm', check it out.

That's my opinion; ymmv.

I get where you're coming from but this is bad advice. Skin checks are not just for docs to try to make money. I had a teeny, tiny flat mole appear at 38 and only noticed it because it was on my pale stomach. If it had been on my freckled limbs I would never have noticed it. The skin cancer screening app said it was normal. Good thing I insisted the doc cut it off. It was moderately dysplastic meaning already on the road to melanoma. People mistakenly think skin cancer isn't deadly when in reality melanoma kills lots of people.

It's either cancer or it's not. Dysplastic moles do not always move to melanoma - that's a myth. Some do, some don't. There have been cases of people being scarred all over having moles removed due to this kind of thinking.

Melanoma does not kill lots of people. In addition, they are finding that melanoma rates skyrocketing is linked to overzealous sunscreen use, which makes people deficient in vitamin D. It's the lack of vitamin D that is starting to be linked with melanoma rates increasing.

This is an exceedingly poor interpretation of the research findings. I think it is irresponsible of you to post this. Look up any reputable medical source - none of them advise not using sunscreen.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the latest science I've heard is that people with light skin cannot make up for our decreased vitamin D levels just by trying to absorb more through our skin by keeping off sunscreen.