Mole Removal

[Anonymous]

My dermatologist is telling me that i must get surgically removed a 4MM mole on my leg that i've had forever. He says it isn't cancerous and i could take a wait n see attitude or get it shaved off. However he says i need to have it surgically removed. It hasn't changed as far as i know and i feel likes he's trying to drum up some business for himself . Am i being foolish by not following his orders?

[Anonymous]

If it didn't change color/shape in a while you don't need to touch it.

[Anonymous]

Get a second opinion, this is totally a judgment call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it didn't change color/shape in a while you don't need to touch it.

That's not necessarily true.

OP, if you question your doctor's opinion, you should get a second opinion. Also, taking it off will leave a little scar, so if it's not necessary you probably shouldn't do it. My doctors always love to tell me that biopsies won't scar at all, but they do leave a mark for at least a year. I even have some small biopsy scars from five and six years ago.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it didn't change color/shape in a while you don't need to touch it.

That's not necessarily true.

OP, if you question your doctor's opinion, you should get a second opinion. Also, taking it off will leave a little scar, so if it's not necessary you probably shouldn't do it. My doctors always love to tell me that biopsies won't scar at all, but they do leave a mark for at least a year. I even have some small biopsy scars from five and six years ago.

Good luck!

My husband is a dermatologist and we have an oncologist as a close friend. I guess I know what I'm talking about. I have a mole as "heritage" from family and had it evaluated. Those were the words that both doctors used when assessing my case.
We're online in an anonymous forum. It can't get any better than this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it didn't change color/shape in a while you don't need to touch it.

That's not necessarily true.

OP, if you question your doctor's opinion, you should get a second opinion. Also, taking it off will leave a little scar, so if it's not necessary you probably shouldn't do it. My doctors always love to tell me that biopsies won't scar at all, but they do leave a mark for at least a year. I even have some small biopsy scars from five and six years ago.

Good luck!

My husband is a dermatologist and we have an oncologist as a close friend. I guess I know what I'm talking about. I have a mole as "heritage" from family and had it evaluated. Those were the words that both doctors used when assessing my case.
We're online in an anonymous forum. It can't get any better than this.

I've had melanoma. It was an old boring mole. It was larger than OP's mole, but I didn't notice any changes in it before it was diagnosed as melanoma by a new doctor.

With all due respect, you aren't a doctor yourself - and I don't know why you even mentioned that you have a friend who is an oncologist. Too funny. But if OP's dermatologist who has examined her feels that she needs something removed, and she doesn't feel comfortable with it, she should get a second opinion from a real doctor - not a doc's wife.

[Anonymous]

I had one removed that had never seen the light of day (bikini line). This was close to 20 years ago, but at that time the doctor told me the moles you are born with have a higher chance of being malignant. Mine "had" changed color, though, and had always been bigger than a pencil eraser.

A second opinion "never" hurts anything other than your wallet, and can often help. I'd get one, if I were you.

[Anonymous]

better safe than sorry. My father died of melanoma. I have anything that looks even a little off removed. Why wait and see? The scar will be tiny. Cancer is not.