Doctor check for melanoma in your navel?

Saw this and thought it was interesting. (https://www.yahoo.com/health/youll-never-believe-what-this-dermatologist-found-118108629782.html). Wonder how many doctors and dermatologists check your navel for melanoma? Anybodies doctor do this?

Mine checks my navel and gets in there but to check for hernias, I wonder if he takes a look for melanoma too.

Nothing in mine but lint.

FLATxBELLY the importance of a thorough skin check cannot be understated with regards to dermatologists and melanoma and as such every nook and cranny on the body should be investigated.

Andie is very passionate about this topic:

SKIN CANCER, MELANOMA prevention, treatment is one of my biggest platforms, passions!

Even if your provider offers you a gown, a drape for modesty and moves it as needed, EVERYTHING needs to be looked at. This includes all the places skin cancers, pre skin cancers, melanoma likes to hide and is easily not noticed. Women, when having a skin cancer check, IT IS BEST to not wear fake nails, painted nails on your fingers and toes. It is also best to refrain from wearing any cosmetics. Skin cancer, melanoma can be found anywhere, including inside of the body. Even those that occur inside of the body can be caused from sun exposure and tanning beds. The following list are places skin cancer and melanoma grow that is easily overlooked. These areas need special attention.

- on your head, in your hair

- the back of your neck

- in your ears, on your ears, behind your ears

- in natural occurring body creases such as the back of your neck

- in the webbing of your fingers

- in nailbeds of your fingers and toes

- the bottom of your feet,

- the backside of your legs and arms

- between the buttocks (buttcrack)

- femoral fold where the femoral pulse is located

- back of the knee where the popliteal pulse is located

- back of the elbows

- creases in the eylids, in the eyebrows

- creases in the nose

- between the folds of the male and female genitalia, on the genitalia and in the pubic hair

- in gluteal fold in the back of the leg where the gluteal muscles meet the hamstrings (the crease under the buttcheek where it meets the back of the leg)

She further states:

It is important to learn the signs of skin cancer and melanoma. Some things to be aware of is a zit or something similar that never goes away in the same spot. My Mom, who was almost killed by melanoma. After barely surviving her first diagnosis of melanoma she developed a very small red mark on the side of her nose that never seemed to go away after it appeared. It turned out to be melanoma again. We caught it soon enough and it was a quick office procedure to remove it. It was removed without leaving a scar using the Mohs technique. The Mohs technique is used to eliminate or reduce scars if at all possible. There are things that look like skin cancer or melanoma that are not skin cancer, pre cancerous or melanoma. There are also things that look like nothing at all that are pre cancerous, skin cancer or melanoma.

Yes, there are different types of skin. Some skin types are very high risk for skin cancer and melanoma. The enviroment you live in, elevation above and at sea level also play into elevating or reducing your risk per your inherent genetically imposed risk factors. Though it is important to remember that ANYONE, ANY SKIN TYPE CAN DEVELOP SKIN CANCER AND MELANOMA. Yes, a General Practioner, Internist, Family Medical Physician, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practioner can give you a look over for anything obvious to their eye as in the places it likes to hide. It IS best to have your skin check to be done by a Dermotologist. Some of them have Physician Assistants and Nurse Practioners who do the cancer skin checks and may do the biopsy, Mohs. Bear in mind they have training for it. You can always insist to have the Dermotologist perform the exam. If one of these assistants insists on doing a preliminary exam, an extra set of eyes and hands is always a good thing when it comes to skin cancer and melanoma exams. Thickness, thinning of skin, rough areas, raised areas of the skin etc are felt with the hands and fingers as well as visually inspected. It is appropriate to have your skin palpated for these very reasons.

Ladies, skin cancer and melanoma does hide in the vagina. During the internal portion of the pelvic exam, skin cancer and melanoma can be checked for visually and through palpation. If you are higher or high risk for skin cancer and or melanoma be sure to remind your provider to check for it when they are performing the pelvic exam.

Andie also adds:

These days, I shave thoroughly in addition to a good clean shower I always take in the morning, every day. Why am I going bald for a pelvic exam? I am VERY high risk for melanoma and I have 2 very small moles and freckles that have started to grow there. I don't want any red bush in the way to hamper any possible early diagnosis of melanoma. I will shave a few days before.

RN,

Thank you. Yes, you are VERY correct, I am very passionate about this.

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! The belly button NEEDS to be checked for skin cancer, melanoma!

Welcome Andie. I know that this is a very dear and passionate subject for you. That's why I seconded the relevant information from your post, as your advice and description are excellent and I could not really improve upon. Karma to you my friend for taking the time and energy to keep us so well informed.

RN,

Thank you for the compliment regarding relevant information on skin cancer and melanoma, the worst type/class of skin cancer.

Yes, skin cancer and melanoma is the #1 item at top of my list of passions regarding health.

I am more fair than many fair red heads. Many of them look dark compared to me. 😁 I do love my white fair skin!

Andie

I got navel exams since my teenaged time because I have an (ugly) conspicuous outie bellybutton (umbilical lhernia). So, I remember navel (hernia) checks regularly by the paediatrician and then additionally by other doctors, too, which were normally very uncomfortable because of all that inspecting, poking, palpating, squeezing and pulling.

When I was 13 I had to go to a general exam by a public health doctor because of my serious abdominal problems, where I had to undress everything and totally naked at the beginning, too. And this doctor did a very long abdominal and navel exam, too, and during the inspection of my outie navel at the beginning she found a small dark mole on my outie bellybutton (later I developped a second one!), too, and showed it with surprising words to my mom. This doctor said it would be a very unusual place and she was also concerned about myoutie navel/navel hernia and that I have so extremely many moles and also irregular bigger nevi everywhere on my body, too. I was very ashamed about that situation. I was always ashamed because of my ugly outie navel and now she found a mole on it, too! It was horribly shameful for me!

I was sent to a new dermatologist then for regular complete and full body mole exams 3 to 4 times a year, and she examined me then always totally naked, inspected all the moles from head to feet and also that one on the "unnormal locatios" like that one on my outie bellybutton. But I also had one on my right nipple and some on my penis, genital and anal region, so it was so shameful for me. I was diagnosed with Dysplastic nevi syndrome by her and she said "with so many moles and nevi everywhere, it would not be a question 'if' but only 'when' I would get melanoma!" She said then "you have to get used to that exams" although they were so embarrassing for me! So I had to accept these exams and my mom was strong by going to all the exams although it was hard for me and when I was not lucky about them...

Melanoma can start anywhere you have skin. It's critical that both you and your doctor check ALL your skin regularly. I've had melanoma, fortunately caught early (stage 0). Most doctors, including dermatologists, when doing a full body check, aren't complete. I've had all kinds of disrobing instructions that weren't the equivalent of 'get naked.' I don't give them a choice. When they come into the exam room, I'm 100% naked with a sheet or the gown on my lap. 'I don't check genitals' is unacceptable. If they resist, I'll ask them to check one of the moles I have that are stable to force the issue gently.

Melanoma can start anywhere you have skin. It's critical that both you and your doctor check ALL your skin regularly. I've had melanoma, fortunately caught early (stage 0). Most doctors, including dermatologists, when doing a full body check, aren't complete. I've had all kinds of disrobing instructions that weren't the equivalent of 'get naked.' I don't give them a choice. When they come into the exam room, I'm 100% naked with a sheet or the gown on my lap. 'I don't check genitals' is unacceptable. If they resist, I'll ask them to check one of the moles I have that are stable to force the issue gently.

Jds4med,

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Naevi,

Yes, all of those close inspections can be embarrassing, humiliating and dreadful. I guarantee going through chemo and radiation, multiple surgeries to obtain clean margins and the plastic surgery is A LOT WORSE! I would inquire about having your skin checks done by a surgical oncologist who specializes in melanoma and ask about having full body P.E.T. scans at least once a year due to the large amount of moles etc.

Melanoma can and does develop in the body, below the skin where it cannot be seen by the naked eye or felt with the hand of the physician. If you receive the diagnosis of melanoma, which is the very worst form of skin cancer, you want it to be at stage 0. The lower the stage, the better. There are many types of melanoma, and some are worse than others. You can have more than one form of melanoma in the same area. Remember, melanoma typically will metastasize to the bones, brain, liver and lungs. That does not mean it is not able to occur or metastasize to other areas of the body. It also shares the same gene that causes breast, lung and colon cancer.

Wishing both of you the best!

Andie

'I don't check genitals' is unacceptable.

My reply would be "an incomplete exam is unacceptable". And that would be my very last exam by that "doctor".

I don't think I've ever had a dermatologist be as thorough as they should be and I've been to several. I have red hair, blue eyes, very fair skin, lots of freckles and a family history of melanoma. My current dermatologist kinda peeks down the back of my underwear but doesn't spread cheeks or anything and I've never had my genitals or perineum checked. I feel creepy asking for it though.

I don't think I've ever had a dermatologist be as thorough as they should be and I've been to several. I have red hair, blue eyes, very fair skin, lots of freckles and a family history of melanoma. My current dermatologist kinda peeks down the back of my underwear but doesn't spread cheeks or anything and I've never had my genitals or perineum checked. I feel creepy asking for it though.

First, take some responsibility and use mirrors to self check. Next, discuss your concerns with your doctor. If (s)he isn't responsive to your concerns, it's time to move on. Fortunately, you have time to find the right provider.

Melanoma can occur anywhere and its important to have a complete exam which is just that a complete skin exam. Even a naval needs to be checked

Hi Andie,

thanks for your reply. I agree completely to you and know, that it would be much more worse to have cancer, melanoma and then all the surgeries, chemo and radiation maybe! The dermatologist in my teenaged time, my mom took me regularly all three months, was always very concerned about my many and dysplastic mokes everywhere! She found out that I have the dysplastic nevi syndrome and was talking always about my high risk for getting melanoma! She said once "how he looks, it´s not a question if, but only when he will get melanoma!" But in my teenaged time, I didn´t understand the danger and the seriousness of the situation, I didn´t like the exams at all, because they were so embarrassing, because I had to undress everything at the very beginning and had to stay completely nude for the whole exams. This doctor in my teenaged time didn´t had a molemax-system, but she did a photographical documentation all 6 to 12 months about all my moles with a photo cameera and did full-body and also detailed photographs (what was a totally embarrassing procedure for me in my teenaged time, too); so, also the little mole on my (outie) navel was documentated every time!

When I started my nursing education later, I had to undergo a complete and very thorough full body and gereral physical exam by a company doctor and she sent me to the dermatology section of the clinic to have a full body mole exam, too, because she said some moles would "look like melanomas". So, now I know, what that means! And I was in great fear! In the dermatology clinic then, I got all the complete exams (also fully naked), they palpated all the moles, also my navel (hernia) and also molemax (photo-) documentation. I had to go there all three months for complete checkups, too, during my whole education time of three years! And time by time, they found some new or changed moles, so they removed them by small surgeries, fortunately all came back as "no cancer" or as "severely dysplastic nevi". They always did more diagnostics, always general inspection and exam (also heart, lungs, abdomen), and sometimes chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound. Now, my fear is not to be completely naked and embarrassed by an exam, now my fear is very big of getting or having cancer!!

I wish all the best to you and hope you will stay cancer free for the rest of your life! How was your way to the diagnose, treatment and now for the following checkups?

Naevi,

I will personally email the answers to your questions.

Best wishes to you!

Andie

Just days before my derm visit I noticed two new moles in my belly button. I was sure to point these out to her. She used a q-tip to poke around deep in there. She said I had three of them in there and they were not anything to be concerned with, but she said we would keep an eye on them anyway.

Guys, don't forget a careful scalp exam. I tend to form growths on my scalp and my derm. goes through my hair carefully. Last month she found a pre-cancerous lesion on the bridge of my nose and froze it with liquid nitrogen. Yes, she does spread my cheeks while I'm on my side and check for anything that doesn't belong there. I ALWAYS get a full body ck. from her every year. Not just for discovering melanomas, but also basal and squamous cell carcinomas.

My doctor is quite thorough in this regard and she sent me to a dermatologist after finding a basal cell one visit. Another place where cancerous moles can develop is around the anus so when I get my prostate exam, she examines my buttocks before completing the rectal exam.

My internist is always very thorough in his exams (he is academic medicine so being thorough goes with the territory). During a recent physical exam, he found a small benign neoplasm mole directly below my navel. He said it was nothing to worry about and he wanted me to watch it for any changes.

I've always loved Full Body Checks! But I can't remember if anyone has ever checked my navel. I better make a new appointment!