If Someone was diagnosed with skin cancer malignant melanoma who would the GP refer them to ?

January 22nd, 2010


Would they refer them to a specialist or a demotologist ??? Thanks
I dont have cancer btw just a question.

If you doctor suspects that you have a malignant melanoma, he or she will arrange for the lesion and an area of surrounding skin to be removed to decrease the risk of malignant cells remaining. The tissue will be examined under a microscope. If the tissue is cancerous, a larger portion of skin may be removed, which may require a skin graft. Samples may also be taken from the lymph nodes near the melanoma and examined for cancerous cells, the presence of which would indicate that the cancer has spread. If it has, you may have chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or biological therapies.

Superfcial melanomas that are treated early are usually cured, but melanomas are more often fatal in men, possibly because men do not always report symptoms immediately. If melanomas are aggressive or penetrate deep into the skin, the outlook is less optimistic, and, if they spread to other areas of the body, they are often fatal.

You will be referred to a specialised within a hospital environment.

Good luck.

How can you tell if a mole is cancerous/dangerous?

January 22nd, 2010


What are the signs of a mole that it is cancerous or dangerous to your health? When do you know it’s time to get it removed?

I had one removed years ago and it used to bleed,due to my tank tops used to rub it,(it was on my upper arm close to my bra strap)it was raised up, but it didn’t hurt! I went to the dermatologist and he removed it no problem.He can tell by looking at it if it is cancer,left unchecked it may cause you trouble! You will be ok, just go see a doctor to ease your mind!

I have melanoma Skin Cancer… I think. here’s a picture of my Possible Cancer Mole.?

January 19th, 2010


http://i34.tinypic.com/232lw4.jpg
I’ve had this for almost about 3 years I think. maybe almost four years. I use to go to the pool a lot and sometimes I were sunscreens. I don’t know.. maybe I missed some spot. But now I’m really wondering if I have Melanoma Skin cancer and I’m also wondering if there’s a chance if I’m going to die.. And do I have to go through any therapy to get rid of this?

Here’s the story, it started growing a lot this year and it’s been itching all of a sudden. And the mole is almost an inch wide. I shave. could it cause it. And inside my leg around the mole feels a bit rougher than the other side behind my left leg (I have the mole behind my upper leg). And my big sister has the same thing. It looks bruised and bloody like too.

Can someone that knows a lot about Melanoma reply to this cause I can’t handle the worries anymore.

Yes go see a doctor my step dad has a mole like that on his back and its cancerious. I suggest getting treatments and doing as much as you can for it

Swollen Gland in neck and possibly cancerous mole?

January 19th, 2010


I have a really swollen gland on the right side of my neck. Not the left. Also, I have had a mole on the right side of my neck but in the past week I have noticed that the mole has become raised and itchy. Could it be cancer? HELP!

well. my mam had cancerous mole. on her back.. and she didnt even know she had the mole untill the doctor noticed it when she took a breathing test… my mum had to go to the hospital to get it cut out

why dont you get ur self down to the doctors.. if u already been just wait untill the hospital sends for you.. but if the doc doesnt think its werird shape he wont send you.. he will just give you antibiotics

Anyone knows about melanoma skin cancer?

January 15th, 2010

My dad has had several lumps removed from this one area on his arm. He originally had some crusty, weired looking mole there it got worse, had it biopsied, and had it cut out.
It has returned a couple of times, and so had more cut away. He gets regular check ups and he has been good for a while., but now whatever it is has returned and he has to have more flesh cut away, this time he has to have general anesthetic as it is alot deeper and they don’t wan’t to damage the nerves.

Please explain, does he actually have skin cancer or do they cut these lumps and bumps out so it doesn’t progress into melanoma skin cancer?

How come there is not treatment given to prevent the lumps from returning?

My dad’s arm has a huge crater in it already. Is he in danger of losing his arm?

It is difficult to know what exactly is going on, because I live in another country. All this is relayed to me by phone or e-mail.

I’ve had basal cell skin cancer removed and my husband has had melanoma removed. I’d say that whatever is growing on your Dad is definitely skin cancer and if he hasn’t seen a dermatologist who specializes in skin cancer, he really should.

I’m not as familiar with melanoma, but for my basal cell cancer they did something called a Moh’s procedure where they sliced out the cancer…sent me to the waiting room and carefully examined the tissue they removed from me. If the bottom layer of the tissue still has cancer cells in it, then they immediately take you back and cut deeper and deeper until they get it all.

I doubt that your dad would need his arm removed, but they might need to dig pretty deep to get all the cancer. Melanoma is dangerous if it spreads beyond your skin but if they can catch it early, its pretty treatable.

Best of luck to you!

I’ve heard raised moles/freckles can be cancerous. Is that true?

January 15th, 2010

I recently had a pretty bad sunburn on my chest, just from a yardsale and wearing a tank top. It burnt the top of my breasts pretty bad. I’ve discovered a few freckles, (im calling them that because they werent there before), that are raised, plus some small bumps all across my shoulders and chest. Should i get them checked out?

The source below may help.

How long does melanoma skin cancer usually take to spread to where it’s dangerous?

January 5th, 2010

I had melanoma on my arm 2 years ago, removed by my dermatologist at Kaiser. She removed all the skin around it and found the cancer was gone so I wasn’t worried about that one anymore. In the past few weeks I noticed 2 new ones that I’m pretty sure are melanoma, scaly with black spots, bleeding, uneven borders, etc. When I called to see a dermatologist again, the receptionist at Kaiser said they had at least a 3 week wait before I could get in. I was surprised they didn’t get me in immediately. Does anyone know if I have awhile with Melanoma before it spreads to be deadly? This is the deadly form of skin cancer and once you get one it often means you’ll be getting more in the future.

Should I be ok with waiting 3 more weeks or should I panic and demand an appt NOW???
I can’t go anywhere else. I have Kaiser and they’re my HMO, the only place I can go to get treated if I want insurance to cover it.

I have Kaiser and also have melanoma. I just showed up at office and told them I would wait all day if I had to.

Be persistent, the scheduling nurse knows nothing about your past history. You must tell them and do not assume that they know.

Go to Kaiser on line and e-mail your dermatologist with your history and current situation. It defiantly sounds like melanoma to me.

what are the chances that a new mole on my face is cancerous?

January 5th, 2010

i have a small flat mole that appeared on my face. i remember my grandfather had them and he was ethnic. i dont think he had them when he was younger. i think he developed them later. i know he had skin cancer, but not until much later. the moles that appeared at first werent cancerous.

i had a couple drs look at the mole. but they gave it a visual inspection. they said that i should keep an eye on it. they seemed concerned, but didnt test it.

im worried because i dont have a mole like this anywhere on my body. how common are moles that appear with age in ones 30s?

are all new moles potentially cancerous? how can they tell if its cancerous or not?

it is not an ugly mole or anything. its is just flat and very dark.
basically is it okay that it appeared on my face? is it common. does it necessarily mean its cancerous? is it normal to get moles as one ages? i dont know of anyone else who got moles as they aged, except my grandfather.

Yes, moles are very common. I have a few small ones like you described on my neck. I am 27. My husband has them too, he is 36. I know a lot of people with them, they are usually not cancerous.

Questions about Melanoma (skin cancer) and treatment?

December 31st, 2009

If it’s spread, is it still curable? If treated late (it’s spread to her back, chest and stomach and seems relatively mild) is it still curable? What percentage are cured if treated late?
Also the spots on her are pretty light, but theres quite a bit of them.
She’s a friend. She’s already gone to the hospital but she didn’t say more than "I have skin cancer" and I don’t even know if she wants treatment, but that’s not exactly a question.

My husband had melanoma. There are many forms of skin cancer and some are very mild and are simply cut off once they form. If she’s went to the doctor and they did not remove anything then I think it’s safe to say she has a very mild form of skin cancer. If they did remove any moles then pathology results would have revealed what type of cancer. Melanoma does have a tendency to crawl across the body meaning new melanoma moles will pop up but the depth of the melanoma pretty much determines how harmful it is. Let’s say your friend does have melanoma in several places but they are all caught early enough (caught before they grow past a 1mm depth), then it’s catching it early enough. Once melanoma starts to growth at depth more than 1mm, the risk that it’ll spread and attack the lymphatic system increases which is why it makes it more dangerous. Mild forms of skin cancer, such as basal cell carcenoma, are just removed from the body with no cancer treatment following that, so her’s may just be that kind. You may tell her you’re concerned and just ask her what type of skin cancer she has. You’re a good friend :-) . My husband had stage 2B of melanoma (survival rate of 50-60%) but he recently overcame it so we’re just hoping it doesn’t come back. There are life expectancy rates on the internet and those spooked my husband but then there were many other factors that contribute to cancer that only a doctor would be able to tell and those will alter anything that can be read on the internet. I hope everything goes well with your friend!

What causes a non-cancerous mole to form?

December 31st, 2009

I have teeny tiny moles scattered on my arms, like maybe 4 or 5 on each arm. What causes them?

I have so many moles that I gave up counting them. I have one right next to my eye, 6 on my neck, around 10 on both of my arms, on near my stomach and a few on my legs. A non-cancerous mole forms genetically. My mother has as many moles as I do. I want to get the one on near my eye removed because it is very big and embarressing. But i think there is some type of medicine to reduce the size of small moles.