› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Childhood melanoma? Spitz nevus
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Sce1.
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- March 22, 2016 at 6:53 pm
Before Christmas I posted here about my 6 year old with a mole that was changing quite a lot. We saw the dermatologist and as the system here in th UK is that when you see your gp (everyday doctor) with a suspicious mole you have to see a specialist dermatologist within two weeks. WWe saw the dermatologist and she started the conversation with a quick look saying it was fine, come back in 12 months. After about 5 minutes she them said no maybe 6 months, no 3 months and see the paed specialist dermatologist. She was obviously someone who needed to verbally process stuff but it scared the life out of me. I felt like she didn't know what she was doing. However, my husband … ever the optimist said all would be fine. With husband away on military deployment I took our son to the second appointment on my own, expecting to be told I was an over anxious mother. Not at all. The paed dermatologist took one look at it and said 'right that'll need to come off' she said they could do it there and then. She was 50/50 about it being a benign spitz nevus or a melanoma. She said that as melanoma is so rare in children this was on out side. I couldn't have it removed there and then. I knew I'd need to prep him and she was happy to wait a couple of weeks for me to prep him and to be honest myself.
Today he had the removal. I made a little cartoon (not that I'm great at drawing)about what would happen and this really helped him to stay calm. He had gel to numb it a little and then the needle for the local anaesthetic which was horrendous in that my usually 'nothing bothers me' 6 year old was screaming in pain. Obviously this only lasted about 5 ,in items but it was very upsetting. Next the dermatologist then cut the mole out, it was about 12 mm diameter and at present she only for about another 2 mm outside that as she thinks it is benign at present. It will now go to the lab and we will find out later this week about what exactly it is.
I guess I'm posting in one way to share this with people who will understand the sheer fear of what it could be and possibly in case there are other parents who may gp through similar. Also though because during the weeks of not knowing I have found comfort in reading people's experiences on this group. Some stories are of terrible sadness, some of great hope … even though, God willing, my son may not end up having melanoma I have found reassurance here that you should always be vigilant and not feel guilty for being posssibly over cautious.
Whatever the outcome this week I would like to stay on this group and wish everyone well.
Beat wishes
Shamaine xxx
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- March 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Thank you for sharing. Praying this comes back as nothing. I have two small children myself, ages 6 and 8. With my father stage 3 diagnosis I am checking them like crazy. I know it is a very small risk but and risk nevertheless. In what way did your child’s mole change?My son has had one on his buttock since he was very little. It has gotten bigger, stretched as he has grown. I hear that is what happens. Not big, about 3 mm, even color and round. Still, I might bring both of my kids in for a check. I am totally paranoid.
Let us know the report.
Annie
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- March 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Thank you for sharing. Praying this comes back as nothing. I have two small children myself, ages 6 and 8. With my father stage 3 diagnosis I am checking them like crazy. I know it is a very small risk but and risk nevertheless. In what way did your child’s mole change?My son has had one on his buttock since he was very little. It has gotten bigger, stretched as he has grown. I hear that is what happens. Not big, about 3 mm, even color and round. Still, I might bring both of my kids in for a check. I am totally paranoid.
Let us know the report.
Annie
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- March 22, 2016 at 8:12 pm
Hi Annie
My grandfather had skin cancer but we only found out after he died as he was very old and never went to the doctors. He had lung mets in the end.
I dont know if there is a way to post pictures on here?
In early November last year he was leaning over backwards (typical boy!) And I Noticed A Little Lump On His Tummy, I knew it was a hernia but it made me check him all over for other lumps and bumps. That's when I noticed this mole and I honestly couldn't remember seeing it before. At least not looking like it did. It had a pink 'halo' round it and the mole looked pinker than I remembered. I mentioned it to my husband and about 2 weeks later a little tiny 'blob' had developed at the top of the halo. So it was pinking, had a relatively normal looking mole in the middle but the halo around it was irregular and looked to be very gradually 'spreading' at one point at the top. The changes were miniscule and to someone other than a mum (sorry no sexism intended) were almost unnoticeable. Hence why my husband thought I had gone crazy.
I took him to gp about his possible hernia and mentioned the mole. It met 4/5 of the abcde criteria by this stage and so he reffered him straight away. The hernia would have to wait. My husband went away and when he returned he noticed the change in it. The halo had pinked further and seemed slightly more ragged at the edges.
Last week I nearly had heart failure because I stroked his face while he was asleep and his lymph gland was like a golf ball on his neck. He also had blood when he coughed. He has now had a chest x ray and we are awaiting the results. Though he then came down with a cold and the gland has gone down. I had a sneek peek at the chest x ray but it looked clear … I'm no expert of course so will wait to see what the doc says.
Are you in the US? The health system is so different there. YouInhavd to be referred to a derm so the chest x ray was reffered by gp rather than through the derm or oncologist. We haven't seen a cancer specialist as such but the peads dermatologist seems pretty on it. it's so difficult because you can spend your life worrying etc but mothers instinct is pretty much listened to here so I would go with what you think. You know your children best xxxx
The paed dermatologist told me that spitz nevus moles in her experience are never good and she has found that some of her adult patients had these in childhood that 'developed' into melanoma. SHe was always honest that the two are very difficult to tell apart.
Best wishes
Shamaine
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- March 22, 2016 at 8:12 pm
Hi Annie
My grandfather had skin cancer but we only found out after he died as he was very old and never went to the doctors. He had lung mets in the end.
I dont know if there is a way to post pictures on here?
In early November last year he was leaning over backwards (typical boy!) And I Noticed A Little Lump On His Tummy, I knew it was a hernia but it made me check him all over for other lumps and bumps. That's when I noticed this mole and I honestly couldn't remember seeing it before. At least not looking like it did. It had a pink 'halo' round it and the mole looked pinker than I remembered. I mentioned it to my husband and about 2 weeks later a little tiny 'blob' had developed at the top of the halo. So it was pinking, had a relatively normal looking mole in the middle but the halo around it was irregular and looked to be very gradually 'spreading' at one point at the top. The changes were miniscule and to someone other than a mum (sorry no sexism intended) were almost unnoticeable. Hence why my husband thought I had gone crazy.
I took him to gp about his possible hernia and mentioned the mole. It met 4/5 of the abcde criteria by this stage and so he reffered him straight away. The hernia would have to wait. My husband went away and when he returned he noticed the change in it. The halo had pinked further and seemed slightly more ragged at the edges.
Last week I nearly had heart failure because I stroked his face while he was asleep and his lymph gland was like a golf ball on his neck. He also had blood when he coughed. He has now had a chest x ray and we are awaiting the results. Though he then came down with a cold and the gland has gone down. I had a sneek peek at the chest x ray but it looked clear … I'm no expert of course so will wait to see what the doc says.
Are you in the US? The health system is so different there. YouInhavd to be referred to a derm so the chest x ray was reffered by gp rather than through the derm or oncologist. We haven't seen a cancer specialist as such but the peads dermatologist seems pretty on it. it's so difficult because you can spend your life worrying etc but mothers instinct is pretty much listened to here so I would go with what you think. You know your children best xxxx
The paed dermatologist told me that spitz nevus moles in her experience are never good and she has found that some of her adult patients had these in childhood that 'developed' into melanoma. SHe was always honest that the two are very difficult to tell apart.
Best wishes
Shamaine
-
- March 22, 2016 at 8:12 pm
Hi Annie
My grandfather had skin cancer but we only found out after he died as he was very old and never went to the doctors. He had lung mets in the end.
I dont know if there is a way to post pictures on here?
In early November last year he was leaning over backwards (typical boy!) And I Noticed A Little Lump On His Tummy, I knew it was a hernia but it made me check him all over for other lumps and bumps. That's when I noticed this mole and I honestly couldn't remember seeing it before. At least not looking like it did. It had a pink 'halo' round it and the mole looked pinker than I remembered. I mentioned it to my husband and about 2 weeks later a little tiny 'blob' had developed at the top of the halo. So it was pinking, had a relatively normal looking mole in the middle but the halo around it was irregular and looked to be very gradually 'spreading' at one point at the top. The changes were miniscule and to someone other than a mum (sorry no sexism intended) were almost unnoticeable. Hence why my husband thought I had gone crazy.
I took him to gp about his possible hernia and mentioned the mole. It met 4/5 of the abcde criteria by this stage and so he reffered him straight away. The hernia would have to wait. My husband went away and when he returned he noticed the change in it. The halo had pinked further and seemed slightly more ragged at the edges.
Last week I nearly had heart failure because I stroked his face while he was asleep and his lymph gland was like a golf ball on his neck. He also had blood when he coughed. He has now had a chest x ray and we are awaiting the results. Though he then came down with a cold and the gland has gone down. I had a sneek peek at the chest x ray but it looked clear … I'm no expert of course so will wait to see what the doc says.
Are you in the US? The health system is so different there. YouInhavd to be referred to a derm so the chest x ray was reffered by gp rather than through the derm or oncologist. We haven't seen a cancer specialist as such but the peads dermatologist seems pretty on it. it's so difficult because you can spend your life worrying etc but mothers instinct is pretty much listened to here so I would go with what you think. You know your children best xxxx
The paed dermatologist told me that spitz nevus moles in her experience are never good and she has found that some of her adult patients had these in childhood that 'developed' into melanoma. SHe was always honest that the two are very difficult to tell apart.
Best wishes
Shamaine
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- March 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Thank you for sharing. Praying this comes back as nothing. I have two small children myself, ages 6 and 8. With my father stage 3 diagnosis I am checking them like crazy. I know it is a very small risk but and risk nevertheless. In what way did your child’s mole change?My son has had one on his buttock since he was very little. It has gotten bigger, stretched as he has grown. I hear that is what happens. Not big, about 3 mm, even color and round. Still, I might bring both of my kids in for a check. I am totally paranoid.
Let us know the report.
Annie
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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