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peter_hanshew · New User Joined: 20 Nov 2006 Posts: 2

I've decided to subscribe to these forums today so I could seek the advice and support from people experiencing similar situations. First off, I'm a 24 year old male who has had 4 instances which have been caught early. I am genetically disposed to skin cancer from my mom's side of the family. I have had a 3 skin excisions and 1 sentinal node bioposy in a total of three incidents. Today, I am getting a 4th skin excision on my left arm which is one of the reason's I'm writing. I would like to hear how other people deal with the squimishness of getting skin excisions. I normally have never had a problem before, but this time the area is right there in my face. I've been debating on wheter or not I'm going to look and I've think I decided that not looking would be better.

The other question I have for people regards dermatologist's. I'm begining to question mine due to this last incident. When I went in for my check up she was very fast and quick with the looking part of it. When she was done, I pointed out a mole that didn't look good and she had the nurse remove it. The mole came back bad and that's why I'm getting the excision today. Does anyone ever feel that their dermatologist's are to fast on not focused enough during checkups? I know that a large part of skin cancer is examining your self, but when a doctor misses a mole that's on someone's arm in plain sight does that mean it's time to switch dermatologists. I'm going to bring this issue up with her today, but I would also like to her what you guys have to say.

cardoso · Guest

Doctors pretend they are gods but in reality they're human. Was it her only incident? Maybe it was a bad day.

Anyway, talk to her, so you can sort it out and even decide to find a new doctor.

Jim_Hall · Regular Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 48

[quote]Does anyone ever feel that their dermatologist's are to fast on not focused enough during checkups?[/quote]

Absolutely. Mine never spends enough time with me, the last time I went he spent probably 5 minutes or less. Everytime I go there is a lot of people. Yet I think dermatologists should spend more time with you since you've had melanoma.

[quote]I know that a large part of skin cancer is examining your self, but when a doctor misses a mole that's on someone's arm in plain sight does that mean it's time to switch dermatologists.[/quote]

Personally I think it's 50% self-check and 50% checkups if you go regularly to the derm.

My doctor shaved off nodular melanoma on me and he didn't know it was melanoma. He said he had 'never seen anything like it before.' But I told him some classic symptoms of itching, scabbing, etc. yet he ignored it. Your doctor may have had the same enounter (maybe) because my doc acted as if he had never seen anything like it before. Course he should have since he's a dermatologist.

I'm also considering finding another derm, especially since he referred me wrong. He had no idea that one of his co-worker's could have done Moh's surgery on me. I went to 3 different docs and one referred me back to the same place only with a different doc!

peter_hanshew · New User Joined: 20 Nov 2006 Posts: 2

Well, the trip to the dermatologist was good. I discovered that the bisopy results which came back wasn't a melanoma but rather just unusual cells and only a minor excision was needed. I talked to my dermatologist about feeling unsafe with her and she explained to me that you can't take off every unusual mole but expressed her confidence in finding melanomas. Her little talk with me made me feel better about the whole situation. It just made me a little mad that didn't tell me it wasn't a melanoma when they informed me of the biosopy results. My doctor also is looking into getting me into a study at duke with the mole mapping thing they have there. Thanks for posting your replys and I hope the best for everyone.

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