visiting your GP (family doctor)
If you’re worried about a mole, make an appointment to see your GP. They will take a look and may arrange for you to see a doctor who specialises in skin conditions (dermatologist).
at the hospital
The dermatologist will sometimes be able to see straight away if it’s malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous). They might use a special scanner called a dermascope which shows the cells in the deeper layers of the skin. If they still can’t tell whether the mole is a melanoma, they may recommend that you have an excision biopsy.
excision biopsy
This is a small operation to take away the mole. It can be done while you’re awake or under general anaesthetic. The doctor injects some local anaesthetic around the mole and removes it. The wound is closed up using stitches which can come out in a week or 2. The mole is then looked at under a microscope. If it’s a melanoma, you’ll have another operation called a wide local excision which makes sure that all the melanoma cells have been taken away.
