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Cancer Surgery  (Expert Forum)
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Seborrheic Keratosis or melanoma??
Questions in the Cancer Surgery forum are answered by Dr. Denise L. Johnson of Stanford University School of Medicine. Topics covered include surgery for all types of cancers.

Seborrheic Keratosis or melanoma??

by WorryWart1234, Jul 31, 2007 11:32AM
Hi there.. I'm a 24-year-old female who is looking for a "3rd opinion." I have had a skin lesion for at least 10 years on my left breast. It is a little smaller than 6mm and is redish-brown w/irregular borders.. I am currently a grad student and I don't have any health insurance. First, I went to a clinic to get some moles checked out by a doctor there. He biopsied one and it came back fine, but told me this one should be fine as long as it doesn't change. Then, I saw that a local dermatologist was doing a free skin cancer screening at a hospital a few months ago, so I decided to get a second opinion by a professional. He looked at it with a magnifying glass and said it was fine and didn't suggest any further treatment. But I STILL can't get over it! =(
There are little black/white "seeds" that can be picked off of it and come back, which suggests  Seborrheic Keratosis... But can melanoma also have these "horn cysts?"
I'm trying to convince myself that there would be some "change" over the past 10+ years if it was melanoma, but it still freaks me out. I will be graduating in Dec., get health insurance, and go see another dermatologist then... Do you think this can wait??
Member Comments (2)

by Denise L. Johnson, M.D., Jul 31, 2007 02:29PM
To: worrywart1234
You need to biopsy something if it worries you.  As a grad student, you should be covered by the universities health service.  

by WorryWart1234, Aug 02, 2007 12:58PM
To: StanfordMD-DJ
That's what I'm thinking.. One more question then... say if I do go to the universities health service and it does come back as something, then when I go to try to get coverage will I be denied as having "a preexisting condition?" Would it be wiser to just try to get regular health insurance and then when it kicks in, go to a dermatologist?

Thanks!
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