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Moles - Melanoma or not?

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noirua

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2 February 2006
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One of the most dangerous forms of cancer for every age group and particularly for sun worshippers. Advice is to check every 2 months.
Once the infected mole manages to send melanoma into the blood stream it will spread throughout your body and there is little hope of survival.

Moles that are not cancer: http://www.solarevents.com/articles/sun-health/melanoma-pictures-not/

What is melanoma: http://www.solarevents.com/articles/sun-health/melanoma-pictures-melanoma-recognition

Type A melanoma: http://www.solarevents.com/articles/sun-health/melanoma-pictures-a/

Type B melanoma: http://www.solarevents.com/articles/sun-health/melanoma-pictures-b/

Type C melanoma: http://www.solarevents.com/articles/sun-health/melanoma-pictures-c/
 
I think it is important for people to have any kind of lesion checked if a) it has been a lifelong mole but has changed and b) any new lesion that stays for a week or so, EVEN when they look safe, or nothing like a melanoma.

I have fair skin and my GP sends me to a plastic surgeon on a regular basis and even he was convinced that I had a very suspicious lesion on my ankle. It turned out to be nothing after pathology, but Doctors are also unable to determine those 'in between' moles that could be nasty, or nothing. While some are very obvious (one older man in the waiting room had a huge growth on his nose - cant believe he waited so long) others are just not that simple.

Dont take chances.
 
Yep I agree, good topic, especially now with summer coming up

I had 2 removed, one from my arm and one from my leg, but luckily nothing to be concerned about

Keep getting them checked
 
I had an unusual spot on the tip of my nose and had it checked numerous times over a three year period.

Checked by both my GP and a Dermatologist. who both reassured me there was nothing to worry about.

Had a bcc removed from my nose in april under a general and the scar will remain.

If you think a spot is suspicious keep asking for a different doctor. I ended up seeing two gp's, two dermatologists and then a plastic surgeon who removed the bcc.

Next time, I will be going straight to a plastic surgeon.
 
I get mine done by MoleScreen in Riversdale Road Hawthorn, Highly Recommended.
 
Don't know if anyone saw a news item last week on a digital imaging system developed in the US that photographs 'moles' using several different wavelengths and then compares the results to a huge database of skin lesions to determine if the mole is melanoma or not. The system has a much greater accuracy than the statistical average of dermatologists. So good for finding cancer and also good for preventing unnecessary biopsies. Who knows when it or a derivative will be in common use.
 

Mate what is the evidence that you have for the need to check every 2 months.

A mate of mine who works at the meatworks had Q fever, I believe it can kill you and he had to wait to see his doctor for 2 hours.

Many of the muppets ahead of him were probably having their moles checked before heading off to Centrelink and their dealer for the weekend.

So you need to be sure that checking every 2 months is the right advice.

Why not every week?

gg
 

Well the one i mentioned is very similar, Check there website.
 

A mate of mine who is a doctor describes the checking of moles too frequently as a mental condition.

He calls it " The worried Well "

Whenever I'm crook the doctors surgery is full of the same sort of people.

It must cost medicare zillions.

gg
 
I had an employee a few years ago cancer started with a Melanoma then spread to his organs he had an operation and radiation and finally returned to work (he was a single father ).
He was told to get regular check ups he never went back.He was dead a year later it was very sad seeing his 9yr old daughter farewelling him at the funeral.His father who also worked for me cashed out his super to try and pay for medical costs it was too late. Bottom line get checked regularly .
 
Had a friend who went to her doctor with a mole on her stomach of all places (Indonesian doctor at expat clinic in Indonesia). She was told nothing to worry about.

On her next trip back to NZ, a month later, she saw her GP and mentioned it to him. Next day she was in hospital getting it surgically removed. Confirmed as cancer.

Bottom line - get a second opinion! Don't be macho and blase about these things.
 

I'm fairly sure, the poster meant check your body yourself every 2 months.

Which i think is good advice, my doctor always asks whether i have noticed any change in size from any moles.
 
I had a small red dot under my eye after living in Darwin for a few years. It seemed to become more noticable after I'd been out in the sun. I went to the doc about it just before I left Darwin, he said it was nothing. I moved back to Victoria the following week. As soon as my Mum saw it she booked me in with the family GP. He removed it and had it sent away for testing.

Two weeks later I got the results, it was a non-melanoma form of skin cancer. 12 months later it had returned, but it wasnt quite as bad (because I had kept an eye on it, so I got it checked as soon as I noticed it). Back to the doctor, who this time froze it off with liquid nitrogen.

That was 10 months ago now, and guess what? A couple of weeks ago I noticed it had returned When I see the doc I will ask for a referral to a specialist this time...
 

Thats no good gav.

Make sure they sort it out this time mate. At least its not a melanoma.

gg
 

Geez gav, that's no good. I think you are doing the right thing taking a more proactive approach... possibly look at finding a GP that can pick them better.

I had one stage three melenoma on the back of my leg, hence why it got to stage three before noticed it. But my GP takes the safety first approach. If in doubt, cut it out... and get it tested. My pathology results were always back within two or three days and he got me chest x-rays a few months later apparently as a check if it had spread.

I have also had three other lower order skin cancers, two on the leg and one on the wrist. He only had to get me back once to take a wider section out of one that he was uncertain about, but cut for a biopsy to make sure, once the pathology showed he didn't quite get it all the first time.

Keep persuing it Gav. Cancer doesn't give you a second chance once it's well established.
 
Gav, the GP who used liquid nitrogen needs to catch up with modern medical practice. It's now known this should never happen as apparently it can 'drive the cancer inwards' (in very non-medical speak).

Ditto the use of a diathermy.

Anything suspicious should be cut out and sent off for analysis.

I've had a few BCC's. Worst one was in the middle of my bottom lip which was pretty unpleasant with the stitches etc.
 
Some of these so called Doctors are a joke & could kill you with their prognoses .

Have a close friend who's was missed diagnosed by a foreign trained Doctor who gave him the OK on a mole that was growing fast , this dope said it was an age spot , two months later he got an another opinion by a AUSSIE trained Doctor who removed it , yes it was cancerous !

Be careful .
 
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