Nails marks=melanoma?

Called my local NHS GP and can’t get seen (the snotty desk Frau told me twice to ‘talk to a chemist’), so now I’m looking at private derm. Is it worth it? It is expensive. Then again, if I could get biopsy on a few moles (on underarm and one on my breast, raised but unchanged for ages) at the same time it might be ok.

Welcome to middle age.

ABCDE

R2 middle-age? I turned 29 like a week ago😂yeah, I’m not a kid anymore, but all things being well I’m about ten or twelve years off middle-age...

Not sure what to do because I’ve never had my skin looked at before, it’s not really something we do as routine in Britain (rightly or wrongly, probably wrongly). Usually I see NHS doctors because I’m not wealthy, but if this is a serious enough symptom then of course I’ll pay for consultation with a private specialist (somehow...probably with instalment payments on credit....😟)

Get it checked immediately OP. This happened to someone I know, it didn't end well.

Could be athletes foot if it’s scaley.

Do you wear sandals or flip Flops? The toe seems like a weird place for skin cancer but I know nothing of the topic.

That sounds like marks that occasionally appeared under my fingernails (can’t remember which fingers). They would just grow out with the nail.I know I hadn’t done anything to cause them. I don’t know if I ever had one on a toenail though. But it’s been years since I’ve had one.

R7 it could be mild trauma marking, and I hope it is. It’s so hard to know.

R6 ah, I should clarify. It’s the soles of my feet and my cuticles that are flaking, and there’s no scaliness to speak of. I don’t wear sandals or flips (have been barefoot for a couple of days in this hot weather, but that rarely occurs!).

The little brown line and dot are under my pinky nail toenail itself, on the pink part. The line is tiny and doesn’t stretch all the way from bed to tip at the moment, which I think is encouraging (most toenail melanomas I looked at online were vertical lines over the whole nail), but it still could be bad news. The dot is equally tiny, but to one side and below the line, closer to the nail base.

However, looking closer at my feet there is some slight crumbliness to my nails.

R5 sorry to hear about that. Thanks for letting me know. As we type I’m looking up private clinics local to me that have good dermatologists, and trying not to think too hard about it all. Still not sure whether to book an appointment—it will probably mean I can’t eat for a week or two, but then again skin cancers have to be caught early....dilemma.

Do a google image search. There are plenty of photos of nail melanomas and it doesn’t follow the ABCDE rule. You may want to see a dermatologist in a timely manner though. You can even get in immediately to see a GP whose assessment is worthless anyway? Where do you live????

R9 just had a look at Google images. Most weren’t a match for my marks, but then they were quite extreme bad cases. The mark I have is medium brown, smaller and fainter. So either it’s nothing and I’m lucky, or it’s something and I’ve caught it early (still lucky?).

And I live in Wales, home of the NHS hilariously enough. The doctors I had in England were just as bad, though—rather throw a blister pack of pills at you or tell you to walk/sleep it off and hope it doesn’t get worse in 6 months. Joke tbh, but most of us can’t afford private healthcare.

Cousins inherited a tendency for melanoma to appear this way. They first try to fix things by amputating the finger, but the treatments are horrendous and they can't stop it once it appears.

Sorry, OP. Connect those dots and get your will done.

I had a brown spot on my right big toenail. I didn't know how I got it....didn't injure my toe in any way. I did go to a dermatologist to look at it. She said... it didn't look like anything, but keep an eye on it. It should grow out within a few months. It finally did grow out, but it took longer. It took over a year. Do have it check out and don't delay. You'll feel better knowing one way or the other...if anything, you'll have it taken care of sooner, which is important.

..have it *checked out..^^

You in danger gurl!

That's how it started with my friend, a little dot on his pinky toe. He ignored it until it started to grow and then it was too late. It's such a weird location that most people probably ignore it or don't notice it.

This thread is freaking me out. Never heard this stuff before.

Take care of this immediately OP (Bob Marley died of melanoma just like yours).

As someone who has had melanoma in the past, it’s worth it. The dermatologist can easily do a spot check and will tell you right away if you have a reason to be concerned. It’s not time consuming or intrusive, and you will feel better afterwards.

R9 re. the ABCDE rule, I only just noticed these nail marks and don’t know how long they’ve been there—could have appeared overnight, could have had them for a month and just not realised (I don’t pay close enough attention to my nails and feet, honestly)—so it’s hard to tell if there’s been any measurable change. I don’t know how long is safe to wait and see, either. Bit of a quandary.

Thanks to the other supportive and informative comments upthread I just missed (fucking page refresh is awful on this hellsite). I will be finding a good derm/nail specialist and getting it looked at ASAP (though with COVID and impending lockdowns that could still mean weeks to get seen...).

Honestly though, I am sort of scared. There’s no history of cancer in my family (we have non-cancerous blood pressure/heart/GI ailments), and I’ve never encountered such issues before, plus I have an ok lifestyle health wise (too sedentary probably, but I walk daily and eschew smoking and drinking and added sugar). Even so it’s nerve wracking. I also have a history with health anxiety and general depression, so don’t know how I’ll cope if the news isn’t good.

OK, OP.

WE DON'T CARE. We're not your free support group and medical-care team.

And stop complaining about the site, you stupid cunt.

Now go crawl somewhere and get that gangrenous melanoma treated. PLEASE.

R1 Desk fraus seem to think it is their business to make sure that the GP gets none. I had made an appointment at a new doc, and rang to say that I had a head cold and wanted to reschedule. When the desk cunt (and that is the only way to describe her) answered, she shrieked at me that did I need an ambulance? Hung up - and didn't go back.

R21 they’re awful, aren’t they? Don’t know where these receptionists get off thinking they can gatekeep your access to healthcare. Just a theory but I think they keep personal notes on patients, and refer people according to their own prejudices.

R30 lmao, wind your neck in you silly bastard. Didn’t have to click the thread and read, did you? Make a thread of your own about sometbing relaxing and post in that, keep yourself occupied.

Look, I love DL as much as the next person, but there’s no denying it’s a bit glitchy. We can all admit that. And I’m not throwing bricks through Muriel’s window, am I? So yelp down a notch.

And ‘gangrenous’ is a little previous, but thanks for the well-wishes...CONT! (that’s ‘cunt’, in Welsh).

Re: gatekeeping office staff. Many are on power trips, so you should compliment them and make them feel important. Always acknowledge the power that nurses, receptionists and security guards have.

I used to feel like a big phony, complimenting their creative manicures or photos of their ugly children, but it doesn’t matter. Even if they know you’re kissing up to them, it works.

OP,

It’s probably not melanoma. Great chance you’ll be totally fine. It’s just that in the off chance it’s something bad, you don’t want to delay diagnosis or treatment. Go to the derm ASAP, but don’t stress about anything.

You probably have a higher likelihood of getting hit by a car on your way to the derm than you do getting a terrible diagnosis.

Like I said, I had a brown spot on my toenail. It turned out ok. But still get it checked out.

Somehow I doubt that OP has nice stuff that anyone on DL would want.

I get lines on my nails from time to time and they always grow out. I have read if they move along with the nail growth they are not melanoma, they are damage to the nail. I would think you will notice in a week or two if they are indeed growing out or stationary.

It’s really okay OP- as someone who gets spot checks every year, it’s the least invasive medical test I have ever had. They only focus on areas of concern for further testing and if it is nothing, the peace of mind is worth it.

Thank you R17/R24/R28, that’s really good to know and I really do appreciate the reassurance more than you do. I have a horrible history with doctors, so sometimes I get gunshy when faced with checkups.

R27 I hope you’re right, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on it until and after my appointment. Tbh my toe is hurting a little bit now—just little aches that come and go—but idk if that’s related.

The clinic I found replied to my email, and said that I’d have to call them tomorrow to further enquire with the right person about an appointment. Does anyone with experience getting private biops know how much these things typically cost? I’m scared to ask because it will mean a big cut of my income no matter what. I intend to get a consultation only to start with, then decide if I need/can possibly stretch to private treatment or if I have to go back to the NHS. That’s half the stress of this situation, honestly. I feel so fucking sorry for cancer patients who have to go into debt just to get decent timely care.

There is a good chance you won’t even need a biopsy. They can tell by looking at it if that is even necessary.

If she calmly tells you should send it off that is when you worry.

Timing is if the essence with skin cancer.

Sounds like toe stigmata.

It's good that you are getting it checked out, but I wouldn't panic. I have gotten these dark lines on my nails in the past and they have always just grown out. I also get these tiny cherry angiomas all over my skin, also benign.

About to call today (when I get a work break next), and I don’t really know what to say to make it clear that I can only pay for consultation & biopsy, not follow-up treatment (if it’s even necessary, knock on wood it isn’t).

When it comes to self-advocating and negotiating with people, I find it hard to push through and demand what I want, even with free social healthcare providers. Do private dermatologists try to sell you extra services, and do you have to haggle with them? I don’t really know what I’m walking into, here, so a script would be so helpful. Thanks everybody, your support so far has meant a lot.