New to this and scared – age 28

The best advice I can give you is to make sure the Dr. gets all the margins of the mole for biopsy.  Don't allow a shave biopsy.  Depending on the size of the mole they either need to do a punch biopsy or fully excise it.  If it does turn out to be melanoma, and I'm praying it is not, having all the margins of the mole will help with determining what stage it is and further treatment, if any.

The best advice I can give you is to make sure the Dr. gets all the margins of the mole for biopsy.  Don't allow a shave biopsy.  Depending on the size of the mole they either need to do a punch biopsy or fully excise it.  If it does turn out to be melanoma, and I'm praying it is not, having all the margins of the mole will help with determining what stage it is and further treatment, if any.

The best advice I can give you is to make sure the Dr. gets all the margins of the mole for biopsy.  Don't allow a shave biopsy.  Depending on the size of the mole they either need to do a punch biopsy or fully excise it.  If it does turn out to be melanoma, and I'm praying it is not, having all the margins of the mole will help with determining what stage it is and further treatment, if any.

My dermatologist explained some things about skin that made sense. Too bad I didn't know these things 30 years ago. Basically the sun burns and tanning beds cause the cells in the skin to mutate. Thus we become more susceptible to the skin cancers caused by the sun. You might want to consider changing some things you are doing and being more careful. Anyway that is the advice I would give but that's just my opinion.

Artie

My dermatologist explained some things about skin that made sense. Too bad I didn't know these things 30 years ago. Basically the sun burns and tanning beds cause the cells in the skin to mutate. Thus we become more susceptible to the skin cancers caused by the sun. You might want to consider changing some things you are doing and being more careful. Anyway that is the advice I would give but that's just my opinion.

Artie

My dermatologist explained some things about skin that made sense. Too bad I didn't know these things 30 years ago. Basically the sun burns and tanning beds cause the cells in the skin to mutate. Thus we become more susceptible to the skin cancers caused by the sun. You might want to consider changing some things you are doing and being more careful. Anyway that is the advice I would give but that's just my opinion.

Artie

I am impressed that you are asking questions now, rather than later–that is a good thing.

I have been thinking that the MRF should create a document that is for people just like you–they see somehting they are worred about and want it evaluated but don't know how to go about doing that.

I have a few suggestions. 

–To the extent that you can, stay calm.  Most moles are nothing to worry about. The fact that this one is changing is bothersome, but not a sure indication that it is melanoma. You won't know anything for a while and stress won't help. 

–Be sure your dermatologist is a good clinical dermatologist who sees suspicious lesions routinely. Unfortunately many dermatologists build the bulk of their practice around lucrative cosmetic work. They will remove moles, but are not what anyone would call expert at it.

–Find out who will read the tissue sample. Biopsies are evaluated by a pathologist, but within the broad category of pathologist is a sub-specialty called dermatopathology. You want your tissue evaluated by someone with this expertise. 

–You already have the very good advice to be sure you get a punck biopsy rather than a shave biopsy. In a shave biopsy a slice of the skin is removed. In most cases that is fine, but in some cases–maybe many cases–that slice cuts through the middle of the lesion. If it is melanoma that process makes staging impossible.

Please report back what you find, and don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Tim–MRF

I am impressed that you are asking questions now, rather than later–that is a good thing.

I have been thinking that the MRF should create a document that is for people just like you–they see somehting they are worred about and want it evaluated but don't know how to go about doing that.

I have a few suggestions. 

–To the extent that you can, stay calm.  Most moles are nothing to worry about. The fact that this one is changing is bothersome, but not a sure indication that it is melanoma. You won't know anything for a while and stress won't help. 

–Be sure your dermatologist is a good clinical dermatologist who sees suspicious lesions routinely. Unfortunately many dermatologists build the bulk of their practice around lucrative cosmetic work. They will remove moles, but are not what anyone would call expert at it.

–Find out who will read the tissue sample. Biopsies are evaluated by a pathologist, but within the broad category of pathologist is a sub-specialty called dermatopathology. You want your tissue evaluated by someone with this expertise. 

–You already have the very good advice to be sure you get a punck biopsy rather than a shave biopsy. In a shave biopsy a slice of the skin is removed. In most cases that is fine, but in some cases–maybe many cases–that slice cuts through the middle of the lesion. If it is melanoma that process makes staging impossible.

Please report back what you find, and don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Tim–MRF

I am impressed that you are asking questions now, rather than later–that is a good thing.

I have been thinking that the MRF should create a document that is for people just like you–they see somehting they are worred about and want it evaluated but don't know how to go about doing that.

I have a few suggestions. 

–To the extent that you can, stay calm.  Most moles are nothing to worry about. The fact that this one is changing is bothersome, but not a sure indication that it is melanoma. You won't know anything for a while and stress won't help. 

–Be sure your dermatologist is a good clinical dermatologist who sees suspicious lesions routinely. Unfortunately many dermatologists build the bulk of their practice around lucrative cosmetic work. They will remove moles, but are not what anyone would call expert at it.

–Find out who will read the tissue sample. Biopsies are evaluated by a pathologist, but within the broad category of pathologist is a sub-specialty called dermatopathology. You want your tissue evaluated by someone with this expertise. 

–You already have the very good advice to be sure you get a punck biopsy rather than a shave biopsy. In a shave biopsy a slice of the skin is removed. In most cases that is fine, but in some cases–maybe many cases–that slice cuts through the middle of the lesion. If it is melanoma that process makes staging impossible.

Please report back what you find, and don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Tim–MRF