Hi
I went to the doctors on the 26th February 2025 due to concerns over 5 moles I had that had changed shape and size. The gp examined and said the one on my lower back looked most concerning and would refer me for the two week cancer wait pathway on nhs. Two weeks later I had an appointment with plastic surgery team at hospital who said all moles needed removing for biopsies. However due to locations they could only remove 4 in one sitting and explained I would need to come back for the one on my lower back for it to be done on a separate occasion after the others. I had the 4 moles on my front removed beginning of March (they came back benign).
I waited and waited for an appointment to come through to have the one of my lower back removed as instructed. However after a few months had passed I rang the hospital who explained I had been discharged from the department and no further appointment was going to be made. I was told to go back to my GP and re refer myself for another two week cancer wait pathway.
I went to my GP on thr 14th August and they did the two week pathway referal again. On the 27th August I had an appointment now with the dermatology department at the hospital. He wrote in his clinic letter he felt the mole was benign however due to my wishes would add me on the list for it to be removed. This mole had changed shape , colour and size.
I then waited an agonising 4 months for an surgery appointment to come through at the hospital. I had the mole removed on the 14th decemeber. I was told I would recieve a letter with results from biopsy In post. However I never recieved a letter and instead got an appoitment through for 17th Feb (today). I went today and they confirmed I have stage 1 melonoma and I require a further surgery to remove area around it.
Is this the norm? I feel slightly let down.
Hi Louise123 and a very warm welcome to our corner of the online community.
That's great news that 4 of the 5 moles removed were benign but I'm sorry that the last one has come back as a Stage 1 melanoma.
It sounds like there was a breakdown in communication between the hospital and your GP, if the hospital needed your GP to refer you again for the 5th biopsy, but I don't know if a new referral is normal or not if the hospital are unable to remove all the lesions at the same time.
I wouldn't say it's normal to wait 4 months between seeing the dermatologist and having a suspected melanoma removed. You might want to ask PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) at the hospital you were attending to look into this for you.
It is normal to be called in for a face-to-face appointment to receive the news of a melanoma diagnosis as you're bound to have questions about what happens next, etc.
Do you have the date yet for your follow-up surgery (wide local excision)?
Anne
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
That's good that PALS are on the case.
The timescale you've been given for your wide local excision (WLE) is normal 
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
