Question about my mole..please help! - Cancer: Skin Message Board

shgrdii · 03-23-2005, 07:59 PM

Hi. I have a mole on the left side of my neck below my ear. It was bigger than usual and started to change in color in the past 6 months or so. . Earlier this month I went to a doctor and he did a biopsy on my mole. The report came back and said I had a nevi with slight atypia and some chronic inflammatory cells, the report also said that halo nevus could be suggested. I am scheduled to get the mole and its margins or whatever completely removed on April 15th. The doctor told me this was the best report I could get. My two aunts who have had melanoma said the report was good also, and my two of my mom's friends who are doctors, veteranarians, but still doctors said the reports are good. When I went back to the doctor to fill out surgery paperwork, the girl who helped me out said she talked to the doctor about how I was worried and the doctor told her that I will be fine and that it won't change between now and April. However, I get paranoid about stuff like this, and I like to have as many opinions as possible. I really don't understand what exactly my pathology report means. When the doctor read me the pathology report I was too freaked out and paniced to really listen and understand what he was saying. But should I be worried about this mole still?? Even though I am getting it removed in less than a month?? What exactly does slight atypia mean?? Is this close to being melanoma?? Can this mole turn into melanoma in less than a months time?? Will I be ok?? My mole is like brown with a little pink and. It is not raised except a tiny bit in one little area where the skin from the biopsy was taken. It has never itched or bled before. I looked up pics of melanoma and my mole looks nothing like it, but I am still paranoid. Can someone please help me on this??

Belle2003 · 03-24-2005, 01:11 AM

It is normal to feel paranoid. We all have at some point in time. Even by some freak chance your mole started to become melanoma, it would take a long time for it to grow deep into your layers of skin. You will be getting this mole taken off, plus they are checking the margins so you have the best possible situation. Thank goodness that your pathology report did not show any form of cancer. Soon the mole will be gone and you can relax.

BonBe · 03-24-2005, 06:07 AM

And I concurr with Belle.... all reports indicate that you are clear. The second proceedure is called WLE (stands for wide local inscision) it will remove surrounding tissue (not a lot mind you) and they make sure that all the 'margins' (area around the orig mole) have been removed.

It is a good thing that you have had this seen to, and I would take the advice of those around you who have had experience. Your doctor, your family, and take a deep breath and be happy.

Bonnie

zoldanova · 03-24-2005, 07:17 AM

Slight atypia, they probably ment mild atypia. Mole could be either benigh ( whic is the best, menas nothing wron with it at all) or it could by dysplastic mild, moderate or severe or it could be the worst melanoma. Dysplastic means that there are some cells that look abnormal but it is not cancer or any type of cancer however, such moles should be watch, biopsied or removed because they have bigger potencial to grow into melanoma than regullar moles. You have only mild atypia, you can relax, this mole is fine and you are geting it removed anyway, so please relax. I think that you are overreacting little, but I'm the same way, don't worry. I have lots of moles more than 100 and lots of dysplastic moles. I went to the plastic surgeons and under general anesthesia he removed 50 of them. which 14 were mild dysplastic and 4 moderate dysplastic, the rest was fine. SO imagine, I will have to panic 24/7. Please remember, when I wrote and e-mal to the national cancer institute with question about the moles this was their repply from them:"not everybody who has dysplastic moles will get melanoma, in fact most do not. Most of the dysplastic moles will never turn into melanoma however; you shold keep eye on them and see dermatologist regularry"
See, you can relax. Do you have lots of moles???or this is only one you have??? Let me know how you doing.
Ivana

shgrdii · 03-24-2005, 11:30 AM

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I feel a lot better now that Ive seen people I don't even know say that I will be alright. I mean, I should of not worried after so many people said it was fine, but I just like to get as many people as I can to say that it will be alright. Being paranoid about this has been a problem for me, because its been giving me anxiety and I have been getting pains in places in my body and it has been uncomfortable. When I dont worry about it, the pain is gone. I just need to relax. It will be off in exactly 3 weeks. To answer your quesiton zoldanova, this is the only unusual mole I have, i have other moles, not that many that are like the size of a pin head or smaller, and a few that are a little bigger, but nothing I am worried about.