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skin cancer but no biopsy?

I thought I had a cyst as that is what I had been told in the past & it would go away by itself...it did, but it came back and just kept getting bigger. I went to a new Dr. & he says cancer & set up radiation treatments. But he didn't do a biopsy. Is this right?

  1. , we almost always hear about community members getting biopsies first. However we aren't qualified to provide medical advice so I can't say if this is correct or not. It sounds like there was not much discussion with you about options. Perhaps he believes radiation is the only option, but I'd encourage you to ask him further questions if you can. You could also consider getting a second opinion, although you may not want to wait so long. I hope you'll let us know how things go, and wishing you well. - Nina, SkinCancer.net Team

    1. Hey, thanks for the reply. I start treatments this week so maybe I will find out more from the treatment center. Either way I think when this is over I will be looking for a new doctor. Just takes a while to see one in my area so I felt the need to just move forward. Thanks again!

      1. I hope they will explain more, and I agree, perhaps seeking a second opinion would be useful. It is really hard to find derms in many places. If you'd like to share, it would be helpful to hear how treatment goes! - Nina, SkinCancer.net Team

    2. Hello,

      I recently found a flat brown spot about 10 mm on my scalp while getting my hair colored. I saw my GP who referred me to a dermatologist. I saw the NP in the Dermatologist office. She was very quick came in looked at the spot and said the edges looked pretty symmetrical so she’s not overly concerned and we can just monitor it every three months or remove it. I asked about biopsy because this was something she mentioned in our initial virtual consultation prior. She said she could if it would make me feel better. I said yes! So she did the puncture biopsy and said I would hear back in 2-3 days. 7 days later I got a phone call saying she was sorry it took longer they found some stuff they didn’t like and had to do a few more slides. She is now sending me to surgery department to have a full excisional biopsy with margins that they said would take an hour . this apt is now not for a month away. I’m kind of freaking out that I still have no answers or diagnosis and that I’m just waiting for this. Is it ok to wait that long? If it’s something cancerous shouldn’t we be getting it out ASAP and what is it?

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