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08-30-2005, 08:20 AM
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#1 | Senior Member (female)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 131
| 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
Hi Friends,
Friday I went to the Derm to have some skin tags removed and she commented on a mole on my left arm. "hummm, how long has that been there?" I told her as long as I could remember, but she was concerned because it was a little dark and about the size of a pencil eraser and she removed it.
Then, she found a simular one on my back and removed it too.
Ouch! I have these deep little holes where she removed the 2 moles, they are healing well but I am somewhat concerned.
For years I was one of those gals who worshiped the sun and wanted to see how tan I could get. (this was from age 22 - 42) Now, at age 45, I use sunscreen, but for about 20 years, I baked in the sun during the Summer months (June, July and August) not a year-round thing.
Why would the Doc have removed a common mole - or is there a good chance that they are something serious?
Can a mole you've had all your life, there as long as you remember, turn into something????
No one on my family has had melanoma or any type of cancer, is it always from sun?
Do you have any health problems (symptoms) with skin cancer?
Are there different kinds of skin cancer?
All they all deadly?
What are the odds of a mole being "melanoma" and / or something very
serious?
If the worse....what are the treatments?
Any information you can share will be so very greatly appreciated! I am a worrier and the Doctor didnt seem too concerned about the mole on my back, but did about the one on my arm and I wont have results for 2 weeks!
Thanks again!
Last edited by CynAnn; 08-30-2005 at 08:24 AM.
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08-30-2005, 08:55 AM
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#2 | Newbie (female)
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
CynAnn,
From my own experience, the moles that I had as long as I could remember turned out to be OK at the biopsy no matter how suspicious they looked .For instance, I had a big, raised mole that I had all my life that turned out to be OK at the biopsy but, on the other hand, a rather small, brown one turned out to be melanoma.
It's a very good thing that you had them checked,though.
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08-31-2005, 08:37 PM
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#3 | Senior Veteran (female)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 548
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please Quote:
Originally Posted by CynAnn Hi Friends,
Friday I went to the Derm to have some skin tags removed and she commented on a mole on my left arm. "hummm, how long has that been there?" I told her as long as I could remember, but she was concerned because it was a little dark and about the size of a pencil eraser and she removed it.
Then, she found a simular one on my back and removed it too.
Ouch! I have these deep little holes where she removed the 2 moles, they are healing well but I am somewhat concerned.
For years I was one of those gals who worshiped the sun and wanted to see how tan I could get. (this was from age 22 - 42) Now, at age 45, I use sunscreen, but for about 20 years, I baked in the sun during the Summer months (June, July and August) not a year-round thing.
Why would the Doc have removed a common mole - or is there a good chance that they are something serious? The doctor removed it because he questioned what it is exactly.
Can a mole you've had all your life, there as long as you remember, turn into something???? If it has changed then, yes.
No one on my family has had melanoma or any type of cancer, is it always from sun? No. Melanomas in particular aren't always found on a person's body in areas only exposed to the sun.
Do you have any health problems (symptoms) with skin cancer? I have Dysplastic Nevus syndrome and have had moles removed that contained Melanocytic cells. This means that if I would not have had these particular moles removed, they would have eventually turned into Melanomas.
Are there different kinds of skin cancer? Yes.
All they all deadly? Sqamous cell and Melanomas can be deadly
What are the odds of a mole being "melanoma" and / or something very
serious? The odds vary from person to person - it's difficult to state a percentage. Anyone is susceptible. All changing moles should be evaluated.
If the worse....what are the treatments? Simple excisions, wide local excision and in the extreme scenario... Chemotherapy.
Any information you can share will be so very greatly appreciated! I am a worrier and the Doctor didnt seem too concerned about the mole on my back, but did about the one on my arm and I wont have results for 2 weeks! Unless the specimen was sent to a satellite lab, your results should be back within 2-3 days, not two weeks. Your follow up appt. must be in two weeks? You don't need to wait that long for your results. Call your doctor's office tomorrow and speak with his nurse. You can get your results over the phone.
Thanks again! | |
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09-01-2005, 02:57 PM
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#4 | Senior Member (female)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 131
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
Thank you so much for your reply and much helpful information!!!!
Yes, you were right!!! The doc called me today, (not 2 weeks, yikes! what was I thinking?) and the nurse told me that the 2 moles that I had removed were "pre-cancerous" she continued by saying "no need for alarm, the Doctor feels sure that she got it all....and wants to see you again in 3 months"
3 months!?! why 3 months, I asked!
The nurse explained that if there was any great concern.... she (the doc) would want to see me right away, but since she feels good about "getting it all"....she wants to wait and see me in 3 months to re-check.
I AM FREAKING OUT HERE!
Just the thought of hearing "pre-cancerous" scares me. I have no one to talk to, (my hubby is working out of town) and I dont know anyone that has been through this that can shed some light on the issue ---- besides this wonderful health board!
Any info, ideas, suggestions you can reply is so much appreciated.
Thanks again!
Cyn
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09-01-2005, 04:49 PM
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#5 | Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 85
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
cyann, was the mole black, or was it uneven? i do know that pre cancous is really over blown. it basically means that it could become cancer, i think thats what it means, i may be wrong. i have moles about the size of a pencil eraser. i havebeen thinking about going, my moles are light in color, light brown. sahped all the same and same color, .was ur mole changing at all?
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09-01-2005, 04:56 PM
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#6 | Senior Member (female)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 131
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
Mostly black....not tan like a nice freckle or brown mole. These 2 moles had been with me since I can remember! but they had gotten darker....black in areas and she (the Derm) was concerned about the color and the "size" Each were about the size of a pencil eraser.
It's scary when they call and say "oh...don't worry" but they dont even give ya some details as to what, when, how.......just "see ya in 3 months!"
I cant help but to be concerned, it's scary to me. Thanks for your help!
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09-01-2005, 05:38 PM
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#7 | Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 85
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
i can tell u this much, your going to be ok. I swear on that. It is PRE CANCEROUS so its not cancer yet. did you ntoice when it started to change, like how long was it changing? and yes black is always a good indication that something is going on. Size is not THAT big of a deal, i kneow MANY people wo have HUGE moles. look at that singer, inglacious , the latin dude, u know who im talking about? well he had a huge mole on his face, they removed it cause one day it could become cancerous. but i seriously would not push the panic button, u should be glad.. how old are u anyways? were u a sun bather, i think i remember u saying u never really laid out. I could be wrong though. Even if the mole looks odd, if its not changing, its prolly no big deal. however, when it does change, it might be cancer. this is all i have been wreading about and what i have discussed with others. so if it looks odd, get it removed, what do u got to loose u know? hey god bless ya
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09-01-2005, 05:49 PM
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#8 | Senior Veteran (female)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 548
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
Precancerous isn't cancer so your news is great! 3 months is a standard amount of time and in fact, would be to your advantage because your Dermatologist will recheck you completely at that time. That amount of time will also give the doctor a better idea of the rate at which any other moles are changing as well as to note any changes in the current areas of excision. Get a copy of your path report and tell me what the impression reads. Or, call your doctor's office and ask the nurse to read/spell the results to you so you can write down what she says. Let us know. |
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09-01-2005, 08:18 PM
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#9 | Senior Member (female)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 131
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
You folks are a God Send!!!!!!!! I cant thank you enough for your wonderful information and support!
I am 45 years old and yep...one of those sun worshipers for many years. I would only tan during the Summer months (not year round) but did tan from age 20 to age 40.
I have gotten MORE INFORMATION here than I have been able to find all over the net! I really did think that size mattered...and recalled an old friend having a mole the size of Texas on her chin that was nothing at all, but the color is something I DO need to keep an eye on. Good tid-bit to know!
The mole on my arm, use to be a regular tan mole, I noticed the past 2 years it had gottena little bigger and much darker...the one on my back was in an area that I never really saw it, but my husband did....and said it was like the one on my arm, was once tan and the past 2 years became dark.
I agree 100%..."if it looks odd, get it removed, what ya got to loose" right? very good advice.
<i>3 months is a standard amount of time and in fact, would be to your advantage because your Dermatologist will recheck you completely at that time. That amount of time will also give the doctor a better idea of the rate at which any other moles are changing </i> ANOTHER excellent point! I could not grasp why she wanted to wait 3 months to see me again!!!
I'm going to call the Nurse tomorrow and get her to read me the full results so I can write the details down, today I was so shocked at the call plus the Grand Baby was here and I was not as focused as I should of been....I will let you know the details from the nurse.
Thank you - Thank you - Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God Bless you wonderful people!
Last edited by CynAnn; 09-01-2005 at 08:22 PM.
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09-02-2005, 01:56 AM
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#10 | Senior Veteran (female)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 548
| Re: 2 moles removed - a bit worried - need info please
Also, don't punish yourself for being one who laid in the sun for all of those years. I think most of us have done that - I know I use to love doing that! The sun certainly promotes the development of moles but there are many mole that grow "where the sun don't shine" so if your genetic background predisposes you to them, there's little a person can do except slather on the sunscreen and keep a close watch on any changes with your skin. We'll wait to hear about your path results. |
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