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Biopsy

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Biopsy

  • Post
    • September 6, 2017 at 7:23 am
    kzrs88
    Participant

      Hello,

      I'm new here and have not been diagnosed with melanoma. I do have a family history of it though and one family member who died from it. 

      In the past few months I have noticed a few old moles starting to look strange, and also new ones popping up all over. I also had a wart on my hand that was removed with cryotherapy that is now becoming irritated.

      I am very concerned that the dermatologists I've seen will not have me sent to get a biopsy. I had one mole that was bleeding awhile back that now looks like it's changed shape and color. I have another that used to be flat that has become raised, and appeared to be "breaking down", some pieces of it came off. In the middle it looks like the pigment is gone and it's just normal skin. Now it's taken on a shiny appearance. I have tons of moles, most of them normal looking but also several that look odd. I had a burning red spot on my arm last week that turned into a little brown mole. I've got a large raised one on my face that has gotten bigger and looks a bit red around the edges. 

      I am an English teacher in Japan (but am American). I am starting to feel that they are a bit behind the times here. Other family members have had several biopsies back in the states, for marks that looked pretty small and not to concerning. My grandma has had several lesions removed for basal and squamous cell carcinoma that just looked like little dots on her skin. However I've had 3 dermatologists here tell me that my moles are nothing to worry about because they are small and don't look weird enough. I also mentioned my family history. Apparently the primary thing they look for here though is the size of the lesion. If it's not bigger than 7mm or a very strange color then they don't want to biopsy it. 

      Maybe this is nothing, and maybe I'm crazy but I've honestly been feeling worried ever since that mole started to bleed. The doctors have looked at many of these with a dermascope but have instructed me to come back only for ones that are bigger than 7mm. What do I do? Keep going to more and more derms until someone will send me for a biopsy, or give up?

       

      If this does turn out to be melanoma what do I do? I live abroad far from any family and have only Japanese health insurance. I don't have insurance back home, I don't have savings, and neither does anyone in my family. 

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    • Replies
        • September 6, 2017 at 4:57 pm
        cancersnewnormal
        Participant

          I'm not sure if this link (http://expatsguide.jp/health-safety/medical-care/) will be at all helpful, but after a quick review of statistics, Japan has a much lower incidence of cutaneous melanoma than western countries. It is possible that dermatologists in general practice over there are not as informed as to what to look for. Heck… we have derms here in the states that aren't as clued in as they should be! That said, it is also entirely possible that you have nothing to be overly concerned with. Putting your mind at ease may be quite costly, be it for travel to a top notch specialist in Japan, or for a visit back to the states to see a well qualified derm.

          Keep track of your "troublesome moles" with photographs. Put a ruler near them for measurement, and make your best attempt to take the photos under the same lighting conditions each time. Often times, some very benign skin conditions can look horribly scary. 

            • September 6, 2017 at 5:17 pm
            kzrs88
            Participant

              Thank you for your reply. That is correct, melanoma is much rarer in Japan. I do not have the money for a trip home unfortunately. I think I'll need to demand a biopsy and just be very pushy about it. I live in a small city far from any major metropolis as well so there are definitely less experts here. If I can't get a biopsy here in my city then I might try to go to Osaka or Tokyo and find an expert there. As I'm seeing more and more things pop up I really wish I had been demanding in the first place, when I first noticed the issue. I'm really pretty scared right now. 

              • September 6, 2017 at 7:02 pm
              Janner
              Participant

                New and similar to other lesions, not really a worry.  New and "ugly duckling", more worrisome.  Some of the things you described could be a seborrheic keratosis.  Also it is actually normal for moles to spontaneously regress – that is, dissolve.  I concur with the other response, take pictures of the worrisome moles.  Then if you can DOCUMENT change, you might have a better argument for requesting a biopsy.  Change (for the worse) and new and ugly duckling are my only criteria for biopsy and I've had 3 melanomas over 26 years.  Good luck!

                • September 7, 2017 at 5:32 am
                kzrs88
                Participant

                  Thank you for the info. I have two new and different looking moles. It's raised and clearish gray, on my thigh, about the size of a pencil eraser.  I have only very teeny brown moles on my thighs other than that. I also have a grayish brown one on my scalp as well that is brand new. The other new ones look normal. The other ones are old moles that have changed a lot in the past couple months. I will try to take photos and document the change, though all I have is a crappy phone camera. 

                  • September 7, 2017 at 2:40 pm
                  Janner
                  Participant

                    Check if your phone has a macro setting – usually shown as a flower.  That is for taking close up pics.  That would be the best way to monitor.  Take a pic as close as you can that is in focus.  Then take one a little further back with a ruler or something to denote size.  If you were taking pics of lots of moles, you take one even further back to show orientation and where it sits on the body.  🙂

                  • September 15, 2017 at 12:17 pm
                  Anonymous
                  Inactive

                    Hello,

                    I wanted to let you know about a melanoma patient group in Japan, "Over the Rainbow", to see if they can provide any guidance. I believe they may be able to help, or at least provide you with some support.

                    Here is a link to the Over the Rainbow website: http://melanoma-net.org/ 

                    Sincerely,

                    Shelby – MRF

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