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Hard lump

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Hard lump

  • Post
    • April 12, 2018 at 5:28 pm
    Chelem2
    Participant
      Hi. Summer 2017 I was diagnosed with a Satage 1A Melanoma. It was pretty random. A tiny scab that wouldn’t heal on my right calf. Very small but it came back Melanoma and a month ago another mole came back atypical. Now I have developed a hard immobile pea sized lump under my left ear up by the jawline. Do you tell your melanoma doctor about this or do you call your normal physician. And what are the chances it is even related? Kinda is ruining my day fussing about it. I don’t like the “unknown” part of all of this. Like to me stage 1a should mean no worries go get checks but I find myself connecting all sort of weird dots. Is that normal or hypochondria?
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        • April 12, 2018 at 6:59 pm
        Janner
        Participant

          Cancer makes everyone a hypochondriac.  But this is extremely unlikely to be related to your melanoma.  Lymph nodes around the neck, face, jaw and ears swell more than any others and this is most likely related to some type of infection.  Any ear or tooth problems lately?  GP is more appropriate than a derm in this case and the most likely thing is (if you don't have a cold, toothache or sinus infection) is either just watch and see if it goes down or some antibiotics to try and fight some infection.  Look for the most likely explanation first – and when that fails, then you can start considered something more sinister like melanoma.

            • April 12, 2018 at 7:54 pm
            Chelem2
            Participant
              Thank you. No colds or etc. However was travelling. Just wish it wasn’t itchy so I could forget it. Hopefully it will go away. I just grow things. Cysts, etc. Everything but two moles have been benign. One basal, one melanoma and now an atypical.

              I started with around ten new moles that just didn’t look right. I showed previous derm, got literally mocked. She was awful. Not often that happens, most doctors are respectful even when they tell you that it is nothing to fret about. Told me new moles don’t develop, I was paranoid and was basically dismissive, etc. Well, fast forward two years and I decided enough was enough. Went to my normal physician who I knew did removals of small stuff. He just looked at them and said doesn’t look wrong, I said that one has been scabbed for several months. He asked does it annoy you. I said yes. It was melanoma. I just wish my current derm doctor who is very wonderful (Fun, caring, and professional, he is even generous with his time) would just keep removing these moles which have kept growing until some of them come back normal. Doesn’t seem to be their way however. He takes pictures. Is there value in letting them develop?

              Sorry, I am acting like a bit of a geyser. I just have stopped talking to anyone but my husband and few if any others about my thoughts because most people are so uneducated about the difference between having had a Stage 1A melanoma and having MELANOMA. I don’t need people freeing my inner worrier. I just feel bad asking the same dr the same questions over and over every three months.

              • April 12, 2018 at 8:13 pm
              Janner
              Participant

                I use photos.  Anything changing for the worse is removed.  Anything stable stays.  New and ugly duckling goes.  New and like everything else stays.  75% of melanomas grow on new moles, not from existing.  Scabbing over is significant for any of the skin cancers.  Anything that doesn't heal in a reasonable amount of time is suspect.  And while BCC and SCC aren't usually metastatic, they can still destroy a lot of tissue locally.

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