Biopsy/question - Cancer: Skin Message Board

berriepie · 03-09-2009, 06:19 AM

Hi, just had a punch biopsy on a freckley-mole thing on my finger. Have a couple of questions for anyone who knows a little about this.

Firstly, are there specific medical signs that a doctor/derm will look for when assessing a mole? I mean, I doubt they simply learn the ABCD's at medical school? I remember reading something about "7 signs" including the words "globules, blue-grey veil, vessels, peppering" Anyone heard of this?

Secondly, is it normal for the biopsy area to itch? is this normal for a wound?

thanks alot!

Oleander53 · 03-09-2009, 07:34 AM

Hello and sorry you had to go through the scare of a biopsy.

I think it depends on the Doctor's own personal experience with skin cancers in his patients. When my father used to attend the Melanoma clinic at the LB VA, they used to tell him " red, white, blue and black. Bigger than a pencil erasure. ( his melanoma's never fit the picture ) so go figure.

Over the years I was taught.....change in color, uneven color, new mole or freckle, irregular boarders......

There may be something to what you read. Blue grey veil sounds like the discription of my Squamous cell Carcinoma. More lavender than blue but 2 Doctors thought it was nothing and I had to push to get it off.

It is completely normal for any wound to itch while healing. Maybe others with more experience will share what they know.

Good luck and let us know what you find out. Oleander

berriepie · 03-09-2009, 01:13 PM

hi, thanks for the reply! its just that my doctor said it didn't look like anything he would worry about, and had no signs of what he would associate with melanoma.

the derm said it "didn't look very interesting." when i told my GP this he smiled and said they wouldn't say that if they thought it was something worth worrying about.

just got me thinking that what i interpret as warning signs, they seem not too worried.

ive read some people saying that waiting for results is the hardest part. i think im going with the "no news is good news" way of thinking

Oleander53 · 03-09-2009, 01:50 PM

I am sure you will be fine but 2 Doctors told me my spot looked like nothing and it was Squamous Cell. Sooooo always trust your gut. If you think it is something then get it checked out. Be safe rather than sorry......

What made you get it biopsied?

Oleander

berriepie · 03-09-2009, 03:58 PM

well i had a little freckle on my finger about 1.5mm big and never really noticed it, had it for a while, but around the beginning january i noticed it had gotten bigger, it was around 2mm now. i have really bad hypochondria so i couldnt shake the feeling something was wrong.

sooo i went to my GP and showed him, i had just been diagnosed with depression and i burst out in tears when i showed him (i had covered it with a plaster to stop myself looking at it) he said that depression can often show its self through health worries.

the dermatologist asked me about my health worries and said she would remove it to stop me losing sleep over it.

i dont know, i mean, im 19, no sunburn history or anything, no family history, live in a fairly rainy country, but i guess stranger things have happened.