I had a 4mm mole excision and biopsy on my cheek nine weeks ago. Today, I saw my consultant, who told me they need to remove another 5mm. He said it was lentigo maligna but reassured me that it’s not cancer. However, after looking online, it seems like it is, which has left me feeling confused and in shock. My scar has healed really well, so I’m gutted to go through it all again, but I’m also grateful that this should be the final step. He mentioned that after this procedure, I won’t need any further treatment, which is a relief.
I have quite a few moles, and now I’m feeling anxious about whether any of them could be problematic too. I don’t fully understand why they need to remove 5mm more around scar if they’ve already cleared it and whether the mole was actually cancerous or not. I'm so confused 
Hi Smilexxx and a very warm welcome to the group.
That's great news that your mole was discovered to be lentigo maligna as this is the very earliest form of melanoma when it hasn't had chance to spread to the lower areas of the skin. This is why some consultants describe it as a pre-cancer.
You should have been given this leaflet which explains what lentigo maligna is and what treatment, if any, is needed after your diagnosis. When you scroll through it you'll see that it says:
"Depending on how much tissue was removed in the first operation, some people who have had a lentigo maligna removed will need a second operation to further reduce the risk of it coming back at the original site. During this operation, some healthy skin will be removed from around the original scar to make sure that all the melanoma has been taken away."
Your case will have been discussed a MDT (multi disciplinary team) meeting and, with reference to NICE guideline, your hospital team will have concluded that you need an additional 5mm removed. If you want to have a read through the NICE guidelines clicking here will take you to them. It says:
"Consider a clinical margin of at least 0.5 cm when excising stage 0 melanoma."
It's natural to be worried that some of your other moles could prove to be a problem in the future. The best way is to check yourself once a month. My consultant got me to take photos of the different sections of my body, ie upper left arm, lower left arm, back, etc, then use these photos to compare the moles then with now. That way you can see if any change or any new ones appear.
I hope this helps answer your questions
Anne
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Thank you so much for explaining everything and for the links. I wasn't given any leaflets. It was all a bit of a blur trying to take everything in. I hope they check my other moles as I have quite few and it would be good to have some reassurance. Thanks again for your helpful reply 
