Small mole - melanoma?

Hi. I went to a dermatologist a week ago, 9/11. I had a brown freckle on my chest for years that had changed slightly over the past few months. It first became a little raised, but was still relatively flat. It was about the size of half a pencil eraser. It was pretty much round in shape, and the borders were not uneven or jagged. It had changed to mostly a reddish color with a small spot of brown, like the size of a period at the end of a sentence. The dermatologist said that I had a similar looking spot on my back so it was probably nothing, but she wanted to be sure. She removed the mole with a scalpel, and sent it for a biopsy. I asked her if it turned out to be skin cancer, did she think it was melenoma and she said that she did not think so. It doesn't look like any melanoma photos that I've seen on the internet. When she removed it, there was just a white area of skin under where the mole had been, and it was the same shape as the mole. It looks like the mole was just on the skin surface. Now, it has scabbed over and is healing.

I just called the office to get the report results and they said that they won't have anything until Friday! I asked if the lab would have contacted her if they found anything terrible, and the woman said they would not. I'm worried and would like your opinion if you think it could be melanoma or just a mole. Thanks!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I vote mole.  It sounds as though your dermatologist wasn't too worried, and just did the biopsy as a precaution.  It's true that pathologists call at once if they find melanoma.  I really don't understand why it has to take so long to get pathology reports--my skin pathologist sends me results in 24 hours.  Nevertheless, I think you'll get only good news Friday.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[zimexlady]

I have a small red, glassy, translucent pimple which will not go away after two years of topical medication. Can this be cancerous?