Could this be melanoma? Abnormal bump on face, advice please!

This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 9 months ago by casagrayson.

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- January 20, 2018 at 11:33 am
- Quote
anachroniclogic
Participant
I'm not sure how to post photos on this forum using a URL..but I made the photo my profile picture (sorry for the inconvenience, I greatly appreciate any advice/input! Also, sorry if I sound ignorant or paranoid. I don't know much about this other than what google told me.)

Two weekends ago I woke up to a bump on my cheekbone. Right away I noticed that it wasn't like any zit I'd ever had. It's fairly large yet doesn't seem to have pus in it (a very tiny bit of discharge came out when I just barely touched the bump yesterday, I have not been picking on it so my photo is how it looks all the time). It is not sore/tender at all even when pushed on. I only ever get a few mild zits per year. The photo on my page was taken January 20th. The bump doesn't seem to have changed in size at all.

I'm a 28 year old female, the only cancer in my family so far was an aunt with colon cancer and my grandpa with bladder cancer. However, I spend a lot of time on the beach (in Minnesota, so only for a few months each year) and I've never worn sunblock… my skin never burns but I do tan pretty fast. Also, I have quite a lot of moles (when I was 12 I counted them for fun and got about 100!)

I'm only going off of google image searches but my bump looks fairly sinilar to images of nodular melanoma.

I showed a couple friends and they think I'm overracting so I'd appreciate any comments! I don't want to be the sillyhead who asks her doctor to check out a harmless zit. But it's already been on my face for two weeks and apparently nodular melanoma grows into your tissue within a couple months.

Thank you to anyone who takes their time to help me out! I greatly appreciate it. (:

-Dawn

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- - January 20, 2018 at 12:00 pm
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  dessie
  Participant
  Dawn,
  
  Best to get to a dermatologist or at least your primary. Rather to be "paranoid" than not to have addressed a potential life changer. There was no melanoma in my family either .
  
  Good luck and call your doctor Monday.
  
  D
- - January 20, 2018 at 12:08 pm
  - Quote
  anachroniclogic
  Participant
  Okay I figured out how to post photos with a URL! (: both photos were taken on the same day, they just have different lighting.
- - January 20, 2018 at 4:45 pm
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  Janner
  Participant
  Just for perspective, my cancer derm has a 6 week rule. If it hasn't improved in 6 weeks, time for biopsy. Not saying you should wait 6 weeks if you are concerned, but sometimes things do take a little bit longer to get better on their own. Since it is on your face, I actually think there are other things it could be – different type of cyst even. As always, if you are concerned, you should get it checked out by a doc.
- - January 20, 2018 at 7:45 pm
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  MichelleRHG
  Participant
  You are not a sillyhead! If you think it should be biopsied have a dermatologist do so. My primary looked nothing like a typical melanoma and derm thought it was benign but I insisted it come off. Chances are yours is fine, but a biopsy won’t hurt anything. Good luck to you. Try not to worry!
- - January 21, 2018 at 2:21 am
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  casagrayson
  Participant
  My assumption is that it is some type of boil or cyst … but there is no reason to just watch and worry. Check with a dermatologist and ease your mind!