Worried about a mole

Hi everyone

My partner went to have a mole removed this morning as it is on his temple on his head and bleeds every time he goes to Barbers.  The doctor told him it was nothig to worry about but that for cosmetic reasons he wanted it removed she would refer him.  Anyway the specialist that saw him today told him that it is cancerous she could tell just by lookiing at it and said she would refer him to have this removed via a surgicfal procedure and then send away for biopsy.  We have a holiday booked next week and he asked if he should cancel it.  She said no and that it woudl be fine to leave until his return.  I am worried that maybe we should cancel our holiday as surely the sooner he gets this seen to the better.  I am also worried that as this is on his head it could be more dangerous.  I am all new to this so not sure whether to worry or not and googling this is telling me all sorts.  I keep telling myself it will be fine if consultant not telling us its urgent but am I fooling myself.

  • Welcome to the forum Casey although I'm sorry for the reason you've joined us.

    If you still have concerns about going away despite what the consultant said maybe you and your partner could try having another chat with them to discuss what's on your mind.

    Our cancer nurses are available by phone if you'd like to talk things through with them as well. They're available Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m on 0808 800 4040.

    The lovely [@AngieT]‍ has a lot of experience in this area so hopefully they will be along when they can to offer their support and advice.

    Kind regards, 

    Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Hi Casey,

    Sorry I missed your post or I would have commented earlier - thanks Steph for mentioning me.

    I'm sorry to hear your husband is awaiting a biopsy on what the dermatologist believes to be a cancerous mole. I know how worried you must be but please don't cancel your holiday. The waiting time for a biopsy excision averages 3 weeks but at this time of year it will be a little longer because of staff taking holidays. The wait for the excision won't have any adverse affect on the mole - a few weeks wait won't make things any worse so don't worry about that. Neither is the mole being on his head any more dangerous than it would be than on a different part of the body. My advice is to go on holiday and try to relax - ensure that he uses Factor 30 or higher sun cream and a hat to cover his temple. I know you probably won't feel able to enjoy your holiday while waiting for the surgery but believe me when I say it's better than sitting within your own four walls and stressing. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma the day before my 3 week holiday & I still went because they couldn't book me in for major surgery for at least 3 weeks. It was hard the first day or two but I managed to relax and I was so glad that my mind was distracted by everywhere we visited - I would have been climbing the walls at home if I'd cancelled.

    Hopefully the biopsy results won't be as bad as you fear. I hope you don't have to wait too long for the surgery & results & please let us know how your husband gets on. 

    Angie

  • Angie

    Thanks so much for your reply I appreciate your kind words x