Can a shave biopsy on a traumatized mole miss melanoma cells?
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Can a shave biopsy on a traumatized mole miss melanoma cells?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Can a shave biopsy on a traumatized mole miss melanoma cells?

  • Post
    • August 1, 2016 at 2:24 pm
    fleurdelis82
    Participant

    Back in early November 2015 my boyfriend pointed at a weird mole on my waist. A mole had suspicious darker spot in the middle. The area around the mole also looked irritated so it was possible that the irritation and scabbing was from clothing (I recently botught a new pair of jeans and a tag rubbed right where the mole was). However, I made an appointment to check the mole out ASAP. While waiting, I subconsqiously scratched the mole (I am a scratcher) so by my appt the mole had a scab from scratching on top of it. The dermatologist did a shave biopsy (removed the whole thing and some margin of healthy skin around it) which turned out as a "traumatized benign compound nevus". The area healed fine and now there is a scar. There is a slightly brownish area in the center where the mole used to be but nothing suspicious. 

    Recently, I have been worried that if that darker spot on the mole was a very early melanoma, my scratching could have removed most of it so that it wasn't detected on pathology. And now these few cancerous cells that were left will grow undetected until the disease is advanced. These thoughts are causing me a great deal of distress. 

    Can anyone please help me understand if this is a valid concern or not? Thanks in advance for your help!

     

     

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  • Replies
      • August 1, 2016 at 3:49 pm
      Janner
      Participant

      If the mole was entirely removed and sent to pathology, then your worries are for nothing.  You had clean margins and that is a good thing.  But if any part of the lesion were melanoma, other cells would have also been atypical in nature.  It's not like you have a totally benign lesion and only one tiny portion is melanoma.  All the cells surrounding melanoma are atypical.  They may not be melanoma but they are not perfectly normal either.  Relax, it wasn't melanoma and it was taken care of.

      • August 1, 2016 at 3:49 pm
      Janner
      Participant

      If the mole was entirely removed and sent to pathology, then your worries are for nothing.  You had clean margins and that is a good thing.  But if any part of the lesion were melanoma, other cells would have also been atypical in nature.  It's not like you have a totally benign lesion and only one tiny portion is melanoma.  All the cells surrounding melanoma are atypical.  They may not be melanoma but they are not perfectly normal either.  Relax, it wasn't melanoma and it was taken care of.

      • August 1, 2016 at 3:49 pm
      Janner
      Participant

      If the mole was entirely removed and sent to pathology, then your worries are for nothing.  You had clean margins and that is a good thing.  But if any part of the lesion were melanoma, other cells would have also been atypical in nature.  It's not like you have a totally benign lesion and only one tiny portion is melanoma.  All the cells surrounding melanoma are atypical.  They may not be melanoma but they are not perfectly normal either.  Relax, it wasn't melanoma and it was taken care of.

        • August 1, 2016 at 6:22 pm
        fleurdelis82
        Participant

        Thank you very much for your response Janner. This was very helpful!

        • August 1, 2016 at 6:22 pm
        fleurdelis82
        Participant

        Thank you very much for your response Janner. This was very helpful!

        • August 1, 2016 at 6:22 pm
        fleurdelis82
        Participant

        Thank you very much for your response Janner. This was very helpful!

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