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Ne's avatar
Ne
Member
10 years ago

BRCA2 - SUSPECT Mole, Skin Cancer / Prevention?

So just had my final recon surgery about a month ago and recovering well from that.  I have been a bit slack on my annual skin checks so decided to make an appointment with a GP that specialises in skin cancer/dermatology (not qualified specialises but his main interest) Also he was referred to me by my usual GP.  I decided to ditch the yearly checks at a 'skin scan' clinic due to the fact that I am BRCA2 positive and I have heard negative stories about some clinics... never the less.... Saw the new GP, he checked me over and decided that one particular mole on my back looked a bit disruptive so given the dodgy mole and my BRCA2 gene mutation and heightened risk of skin cancer, he removed it for testing.  It came back as moderately disruptive navae (very early signs of disruptive cells that can turn into Melanoma if left untreated).  He then had to remove a bigger area around the initial incision for further testing. The results for this came back as clear, so he is happy that they got 'everything' bad with the first cut. 

My question to other BRCA ladies/gents...do I need to be seeing a dermatologist instead of this GP given my background? Where do you all do your skin checks?  And how often?  I really like this GP and felt he did everything right.  He seems to be thorough enough and when asking a friend of mine who sees a qualified dermatologist about whether her 'checks' at the Dermatologist where any different and how he did her checks, it pretty much sounded like the exact same methods as the GP i used. 

Should I be seeing a Dermatologist?
Thanks


BRCA1-BRCA2

2 Replies

  • Jane221's avatar
    Jane221
    Member
    10 years ago
    My GP confirmed and treated (cut out) a small basal cell carcinoma on my hand last year. He has performed many similar procedures in the surgery but probably would have referred me on if it looked more complicated. I do have to add regular skin checks to the list of things I see him about...sigh.
  • Brenda5's avatar
    Brenda5
    Member
    10 years ago
    Sometimes GP's are actually a qualified dermatologist. My old GP had the certificate on his surgery wall. GP's inspect a lot of moles and skin troubles in their profession and it is very likely they are well qualified to pick up on anything a bit suss going on with the skin. If they are in doubt they will refer you to a dermatologist anyway.