Melanoma question.?

Does anyone have any experience with Melanoma's? I know what they look like from researching the internet, and I know in women they usually appear on the bottom of the leg. But can anyone tell me if they sort of crust over and go away leaving just a small spot. Then come back again. They also itch. If I was younger, smarter and richer I would definitly become a dermatologist. They are the hardest doctors to get an appointment with. I have an appointment in January. That was the best they could do. Thanks for any answers.

You need to see somebody sooner than January.

My mother had a "spot" form under her thumb nail. She asked her internal medicine doctor to take a look. He said it was nail fungus. She took medicine for nail fungus for about a year and it didn't get better.

She asked another doctor about that same spot and this one agreed it was nail fungus. She went back on the fungus meds again for about another 6 months.

By this time it was kind of oozing a dark fluid out from under the nail. She was at her foot doctor having a spur removed and asked him what he thought. He told her she needed a biopsy ASAP.

The biopsy came back positive for melanoma. She had the entire thumb amputated.

About a year later she developed a big tumor in the arm pit of the same arm the melanoma was on. It was a melanoma tumor. They took it out and sent her home.

Her cancer doctor said the drug treatment for melanoma was too rough for my mother to tolerate. He said she had a year, maybe two. Every exam he said he could feel the lymph nodes in her arm and abdomen swollen and full of that melanoma.

She died 8 years later from Alzheimer's. Her survival that long with Stage 3 melanoma put her in a group of less than 1% of all patients.

Melanoma does not usually crust over leaving a small spot.
melanoma usually has irregular borders, does not have preference for any part of the body but can be found more in sun exposed areas, it also has different shades of "brown" on the same lesion. they do not itch.
you may be describing a fungal (yeast) infection, try to buy an over the counter fungal medicine (clotrimazole)

Even if it's not melanoma, it's something. I suggest going to your regular doc first. If s/he can't tell you what the heck it is, then he can get you a referral. Referrals get you there MUCH faster. Sometimes on the same day.

My husband had one under his eye. He had it treated immediately.

Just resist the temptation to scratch it. Put a bandaide on it or something.

Yes they do crust... more info below

As a nurse I have seen melanomas appear all over the body. Most of the ones I've seen were on the face or upper torso. They can start out looking like a mole then change colors and can have irregular edges. They are among the fastest growing types of cancer. Have your Dr. call a dermatologist to get you an appt. right away. They can get it done sooner than you can. I certainly wouldn't wait til January. Melanomas are dark or black and can be as small as a pencil dot, but very deep.