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Author  Topic    momoy4 Philippines 2 Posts Posted - 02/04/2010 :  21:37:56     I'm asian--obese at 210 lbs afflicted with chronic gout. I've started regularly swimming in public pools without sun protection since 2006 and stopped last year as I realized there was a better form of exercise to make me lose weight. I swithced to mountainbiking. Started around March of 2009 up until the present. I don't wear any protective clothing--though I usually bike from 6AM to 10AM only. Around December my wife noticed a lesion the size of pin head in my forearm---I din't quite bother with it as i dismmised it as a sun spot. Around end last week (with my biking under the sun being much more frequent) I noticed the spot to have rather "grown". (it still is the size of a pin head but I guess much larger)--asymmetrical (much like an inverted L)--with brown and dark brown color. The size as I measured was about 4mm in diamater. No itching, no pain or swelling is observed. Would this be a case of a bad burn or would it be melanoma? I am afraid to go the derma and hear that dreaded word (biopsy or melanoma) and would rather find out first myslef as a self test. Yesterday I started taking pancreatin, ACV etc. Hope somebody could allay my fears. Is it time for me to go the black Salve route? What do you recommend. Thanks and more power dan 611 Posts Posted - 02/06/2010 :  00:39:52     Hi momoy4, if you can not rule out melanoma then I would see a doctor as soon as possible. Melanoma can very quickly spread to other locations in the body and kill you. The time to treat it is as early as possible. I think alternative treatments could be effective against melanoma but there is no point taking the risk. The other types of skin cancer are much less likely to have such a bad result. It is great that you are exercising and a little sun exposure is generally very good for you. anivoc 668 Posts Posted - 02/06/2010 :  01:49:03     Welcome Momoy4 A weird brown spot could be just a growth or could be skin cancer.. There are no doctors participating on this site, we are all just lay people sharing our ideas and experiences dealing with non-melanoma skin cancers. If the spot has irregular edges that is one of the warning signs of possible Melanoma. Melanoma unlike the non melanoma skin cancers we generally are treating here(e.g. BCC's and Actinic Keratosis) is deadly serious. Go online and google images of melanoma. If you think your's looks similar or suspicious, or you think your spot has irregular edges and is growing fast don't mess around, get it checked out by a dermatologist quickly. It truly can mean the difference between life and death. Hopefully it is nothing but be sure. Good Luck! momoy4 Philippines 2 Posts Posted - 02/07/2010 :  01:26:43     thanks Dan and anivoc---I finally visited the derma and it wasn't melanoma..whew! just a bad case of burnt skin due to the amount of time I spend outdoors. will be extra careful and take more natural sunblock! Thanks a mil! anivoc 668 Posts Posted - 02/08/2010 :  12:18:05     Great News! Glad you got it checked out..    Topic

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Disclaimer: The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. While melanoma is the most dangerous type, keep in mind that any cancer and potentially some cancer treatments can cause injury or death. The various views expressed in these public forums should not be considered as medical advice. See your qualified health-care professional for medical attention, advice, diagnosis, and treatments.