Diagnosed with Melanoma - waiting for WLE and further mole removal

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Hi there

In may I had a new mole removed and sent for biopsy which came back as stage 1 melanoma. I had my results appointment on 14 June where I was told I would be having a WLE to remove a larger area around the scar as a precaution. During my results appointment I showed the cancer nurse a mole I had since spotted on my scalp that looked different and I wasn't sure how long it had been there since it is in a difficult place to monitor. As soon as the nurse saw this she said it ticks all the boxes of a lesion they wouldn't like to see and that it needs to be removed as well. I was told I would have the WLE and further mole removal in the same appointment in around 4-6 weeks time.

It has been over 6 weeks now and I still have not received my appointment for these excisions. Today I called the dermatology department and I was told that the waitlist is in fact 3 months long!! This would be fine if it was just for my WLE but I am getting increasingly anxious that the mole on my scalp is also melanoma and I want this removed ASAP.

Is a 3 month wait normal? I have considered booking an appointment with my Doctors surgery to see if I can get referred on a 2 week wait cancer pathway as I think this would get me seen quicker than the current wait time.

Any advise would be really appreciated - I am not sure if I am just being paranoid or if I should try and chase this up. 

  • Hi and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

    I'm sorry to read that after having a melanoma diagnosis you now have the possibility of another one.

    Whilst 3 months is not unusual to wait for a WLE and SLNB, mine was about 10 weeks, it's certainly a long time to wait for a biopsy for a possible melanoma.

    When you spoke to the appointments department today did you tell them that one of the appointments is for an excision for a possible melanoma? The reason I ask is that if they just thought it was for the WLE and SLNB that may have been why you were told 3 months.

    I might be wrong but I wouldn't think there's any point going to see your GP as you have already been referred and from now on anything you find on your skin that you are worried about you should get in touch with your SCNS (skin cancer nurse specialist) who would then refer you to your consultant. I've had to do this on a couple of occasions and usually get an appointment within a week or two to see the consultant.

    Another thought, have you told your SCNS about the length of time before you'll be offered an appointment for the biopsy of the potential melanoma? She might be able to look into this for you.

    Let us know how you get on

    x

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  • I have had to wait what feels like a long time too - initial biopsy in May, now have a date for the WLE and SLNB at the end of September.