Does Amelanotic Melanoma Blanche When Pressed?

Hi BrumDog and a very warm welcome to the online community

I had an amelanotic melanoma and I didn't notice it blanching when touched. However, I didn't press it with a glass so don't know what would have happened if I had.

Let us know how you get on with the dermatologist next week.

x

Thank you Latchbrook - it was reading your story on your profile a few days ago that made me get in touch with my Derm rather than wait for my GP to (possibly) do a referral which could take ages (he said it didn't look sinister but I've read that amelanotic melanomas can even fool the most experienced terms) - fortunately his Secretary got me a cancellation next week.   I'll let you know the outcome but I'm not hopeful.  It's not responding to treatment and getting slightly bigger.

Was yours quite raised and scabby?

Hi BrumDog

Mine was slightly raised and it did form a scab about a week before I had it removed.

Amelanotic melanomas are rare and, like you, my GP started off by treating mine with a cream. I don't blame the GP for not recognising it as even the dermatologist I saw privately thought it was nothing to worry about and I discovered afterwards that he was one of the top dermatologists in the country!

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that yours really does turn out to be nothing to worry about.

x

On this subject could I please ask anyone who knows are Amelanotic melanoma firm? I have a skin lump approx 4mm x 3.5 mm raised about 1mm and when I put a glass to it sort of squishes down, can see the outer ring of the lump but no colour. Seems that there is no colour when I do the glass press test but frightens the life out of me that the Amelanotic melanoma variant can just look like a normal skin pigment.

Also the lump is fairly soft or elastic but has grown approx 1 mm since Jan 2021 (I took a photo back then thank god) to compare at a later date

Hi flynny50 

I wouldn't like to say if the signs of a lesion being an amelanotic melanoma are whether it's firm or not. My best advice would be to make an appointment to see your GP and if they are unsure what it is, or think there's a chance it could be cancerous, they will refer you to see a dermatologist.

Do let us know how you get on.

Thanks Latchbrook sorry I should have said seen GP who was meant to be more specialist in dermatology stuff having taken a skin tag off my back in 2017 went back to her. She said she wasnt sure it had grown when I showed her the pic from Jan 2021 and under her magnifying glass thingy she uses wasnt worried at all. could see multiple colours including yellow etc. I have bad health anxiety and she said for my peace of mind would refer to skin dermo in town for skin cancer check - but was at pains to say shes doing it because she would normally do none urgent but knows that would be torture for me to wait. Got Dermo appointment next thursday but obviously Dr Google has made me self diagnose the worst

That's good news that your GP has referred you flynny50 but even better news that she doesn't think it's anything to worry about. 

Let us know how you get on next week and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks Latchbrook I do appreciate you responding 

Thank you latchbrook - well I saw my Derm this afternoon and showed him my lesion and he bent down and pick doff the scab and said it was  Sebhorric Keratosis!  It's looking much better now.  So I hope he's right - I do trust him and he said to put vaseline on it (not the Hydrocortisone cream).  So that was a big relief and hope that it will continue to heal now.  

The interesting thing was he did my annual mole check he found a suspicious one on my back and so he's going to remove it next week - but he said it's likely to be an In Situ one if anything, so am hoping it's nothing more than that.  My GP gave me a full body check and missed it - I do think it\s worth paying private for a Dermatologist to check such things as they have a trained eye.  

I had three In Situ melanomas removed in February 2017 - two were in a position which never got any sun.  Apparently it's quite rare to have three.  The annoying thing was I had to have another lot of skin removed in all three sites to get a 5mm clearance.  So I had six lots of skin surgery in all.

I put it down to the fact that I received the contraversial "sunray therapy" when I was a small child during the early 1960s (I was born in '59) - looking back, a stupid idea to stick small children stripped down to their pants under UV lamps: 

https://www.cosmedics.co.uk/sun-ray-therapy-linked-to-skin-cancer/

We did look a sight - we had to wear goggles, and the room had a peculiar smell.  I went once a week. 
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20140522/282402692420583

I'd post some photos up but don't think it's possible.  

So certainly SK blanches under glass - if it's pinkish red like mine was.  

Thank you for your support.