Shelly's Skin Cancer Story 2005

by Shelly
(Raleigh, NC, USA)

In late 2005, I was at a doctor appointment with a new doctor.


As she was doing my breast exam, she blurted out, "That mole looks cancerous! We need to remove it."


She was referring to a large, misshapen, but flat mole I had always had on my right breast. Because I'd always had the mole, I didn't believe her at first.


She insisted that I have it remove, so I complied.


About a week later, she called me to tell me that biopsy was positive (a strange thing to call a cancer diagnosis).


I was scheduled for mohs skin cancer surgery 2 weeks later. Luckily, the entire malignant melanoma had been removed during the biopsy and I only had to go through one layer of removal during the MOHS surgery.


I had always been very vigilant about applying sunscreen. I'm pale skinned and have a history of melanoma in my family.


I had never sunbathed nude, so the fact that I got skin cancer on my breast was frustrating for me - there was nothing I could have done to prevent it.


Now I get full skin checks once a year and had a mole map made two years ago so I can use it as a reference point as my moles change over time.


Melanoma Skin Cancer

Malignant Melanoma Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer Melanoma

Skin Cancer Moles

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