› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Lump on back, looks like blood blister. Possible Nodular Melanoma??
- This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 2 months ago by
jennunicorn.
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- June 26, 2017 at 9:40 am
Hello.
My girlfriend recently noticed an odd looking lump on my back that looks very similar to a blood blister.
I have had moderate back acne for quite sometime now (I'm 22) and she will sometimes mess with the acne on my back and squeeze / pop zits that form, and that's when she noticed this lump.
(I know you should never pick at zits, and this recent scare has deeply engrained that now. No more.)
Anyways, about 5 days ago she was over, and didn't notice this blood blister like marking on my back. Which means it had to of formed somewhat recently. And I remember tossing around this morning before waking up for work and feeling pain around the area where the blood blister was found.
But… after over Googling, looking at pictures of my back, and learning what melanoma and NM looks like I have managed to freak myself out completely.
It looks so similar to NM, skin cancer is herditary from what I've read (both my grandfather and mom have it), and I have pale skin, burn easily.
All the symptoms are there from what I can tell, and that's what worries me the most.
Obviously I'm hoping that I've over-hyped a simple blood blister that formed from my girlfriend squeezing something too much, but I can't be entirely too sure yet.
Is it common for a 22 year old male to come down with melanoma?
I have been burned several times, 3 that i can remember that were fairly bad. (Blistering / peeling).
But for that reason, I haven't had much sun exposure or bad burns for about two years or so.
And my next question is, what's next?
Do I schedule an appointment with a dermatologist? Do I go to a GP, ER, cancer center? What do I do?
I'm at a loss, and I'm terrified because from what I've read often times doctors mistake NM for a blood blister. And that's what this looks like, as I've said.
I'm too young to have something like this happen (at least I thought) but my newfound awareness of melanoma has me thinking the worst case scenario may be my reality. I'm now a melanoma expert, by the way. Appreciate it, Google.
Thanks for reading this lengthy, whiny post, and I look forward to hearing from everyone.
Best,
Connor
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- June 26, 2017 at 10:42 am
DeHi Connor,
if it's something you're concerned about, make an appointment with a good dermatologist who can diagnose, and or biopsy to give you some peace of mind or provide answers. If you post your general location, maybe someone can provide a recommendation with regard to dermatologists near you.
hang in there and good luck!
stan
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- June 27, 2017 at 3:38 pm
Make an appointment with the derm you know about in your area and see what they say. If you need a second opinion we can offer suggestions further away, but likely this is nothing more than a benign issue, try not to over worry about it.
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- June 26, 2017 at 4:24 pm
Most times, the most likely explanation is the right one. It could be a cyst, blood blister, hemangioma. Unlikely nodular melanoma. You should give it a chance to heal on its own, but at the same time make an appointment with a dermatologist to look at that area and all your skin. Learn to watch for change. Yearly exams are a good practice to start.
No skin cancer is hereditary. The most common types are related to sun exposure. Your relatives most likely share the same skin type and may have burned easily too. Basal cell and Squamous cell are more common as we age if you've had lots of sun exposure. Those are by far the most common types of skin cancer, not melanoma. Melanoma can have a hereditary component that raises the risk for an individual in only a very small subset of the population. Very unlikely to be be hereditary for you. Just pale skin.
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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