Do you need a referral for a dermatologist?

benni · Regular Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 10

My PCP noticed a mole by my nose and said he doesn't like the looks of it and told me I am going to see a dermatologist. He said he wasn't asking, or suggesting, he was telling me. He never referred me to a dermatologist but other issues came up at that time (ie a CT scan showed a 2.5 cm hilar lymph node in my left lung and a 5 mm lung nodule on my right lung which had grown 3 mm since my previous ct scan.) Well the dermatologist was never mentioned again, and I am going in for another CT scan this Friday for the lung nodule, but am wondering if I should go ahead and set up an appt. with a dermatologist or whether I really need a referral. Thanks in advance.

Brenda

jacques recinella · New User Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 8

I have a feeling that the lung nodule is the most pressing issue at this time. I would think that your next step will be to have a biopsy of the lung or the hilar lnodule to make a tissue diagnosis. If you never had melanoma, the oncologist will want to look for a primary and maybe it is the lesion on your nose??? So, As to the lesion on your nose, it won't hurt to go ahead and set up that appt with a dermatologist.
Comprehensive cancer centers such as MD Anderson, Sloan-Kettering, John Wayne or at Univ of Pittsburgh are the best places to be seen especially if the biopsy comes back for melanoma. You want to be seen by an oncologist that deals strictly with this disease. Nothing against general oncologists, it has been my experience that it is best to see a specialist in this field.
I wish you all the luck.

benni · Regular Joined: 08 Aug 2005 Posts: 10

Thank you jacques. I go tomorrow for my ct scan of the lung nodule and am pretty nervous about it. My hematologist said that if it has continued to grow then it most definitely is cancer. I'm 39 years old, will be 40 in Oct., and never thought I would be in the position of having to face this. But then again, it's my own stupidity for smoking all these years. Actually I'm more than just nervous about it, I'm downright scared. The irony of all of this is that I got my internship at a cancer center and will start next week. I'm going for my MSW degree. I keep saying the internship was fated for whatever reason. I will make sure to point out to my hematologist about the mole on my nose. It's not a large mole and is in the crease of my nose, barely noticeable when looking at me head on but it is noticeable if you look at me from the right side. It had started off basically colorless and was that way for at least 7 years. Now though it is changing color and is getting almost black in color. I always thought it was a wart, not a mole, because of how it looked, and had tried wart removal medicine on it. All the medicine did was irritate it. I hadn't even noticed it had changed colors until my pcp pointed it out to me. I just have to get through today though and that's going to be tough. Thanks for your reply jacques. I truly do appreciate it and appreciate the information and luck sent my way.

Brenda

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