Question: Hello! I’ve actually asked a very similar question to this in the past, but unfortunately since I have health anxiety, I’m looking for further reassurance. Twenty years ago (yes, 20 years!), my primary care physician removed several pigmented spots from my back using electrodessication and curettage. All that remains are hypopigmented spots. I have no idea whether the spots were seborrheic keratosis or moles, but all were flat, light brown, symmetrical and none bigger than a pencil eraser. I had seen a dermatologist about a year prior to that and he said they were normal. Unfortunately my doctor who removed them all of those years ago never had them biopsied.

To this day, my anxious mind has me worried that biopsies were never done. I go for regular skin cancer screenings and have been told there is nothing worrisome on my back (or any other location). Today I went to another screening which was hosted by the XXXXXXX Academy of Dermatology. I mentioned to the nurse practitioner who examined me about my worry and she said she wasn’t concerned and I had no suspicious spots. She examined the areas on my back of hypopigmentation and said they were fine. Unfortunately she made a comment that there could be a cell remaining from all those years ago. I understand about how clear margins are necessary for melanoma and severely atypical moles.

My question is this: if there had been anything dangerous with these lesions from all those years ago, would pigment and changes have occurred by now in the locations where they were removed? It’s not possible that a dangerous cell could somehow spread to another area of my body without showing any pigment or worrisome changes in the original area, is it? I guess I’m just looking for reassurance that had they been anything dangerous, visible and worrisome changes would have occurred in the areas where they were removed. Thank you for your time and any reassurances which you can give me (I realize that this is a crazy question!)!

Hi Dr. De! I am sending you a big virtual hug and thanking you for your reassuring answer. It’s very hard to have health anxiety, and when you factor in an overactive mind, it’s a recipe for disaster!

One last question to confirm for my peace of mind: so, if theoretically, any of those spots had been melanoma or dangerous, there’s no way the cancer would have spread somehow into other parts of my body, without showing first some changes to the skin where they were removed...pigment reoccurring, lumps forming, etc....is that correct? Thank you again for your kindness!!

Oh Dr. De....thank you again immensely for your kindness and answer to my neurotic question! It is amazing how for some of us, our minds can latch onto these irrational worries and it spirals out of control. Hearing that reassurance from you has meant the world to me, and I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and compassion! You are clearly an incredible doctor!!