Description

Every day a patient calls Dr. Schultz to schedule an emergency appointment because she finds a growth that's appeared overnight. She assumes it must be dangerous - in her words, "perhaps even cancer." However it is important to remember that cancer and other dangerous conditions don't spring up overnight. So when should you make that appointment with your dermatologist to have your new growth checked out? Dr. Schultz will walk you through this intimidating but usually benign experience.

Transcript

Dr. Neal Schultz: Hello I'm Dr. Neal Schultz and welcome to DermTV. We all have lots of spots and bumps on our skin, and we know what they look like, we're accustomed to seeing them. But sometimes, these things change. Spots can get bigger, they can change colors. Growths can look different or grow or shrink. And patients ask me, when do they need to come in, and show that changed bump or spot to me, when is it an important change? And I tell patients, you don't have to come in the day it happens, you don't have to come in two days later. You can give it 2 or 3 weeks. In 2 or 3 weeks, if it hasn't gone back to the way you're accustomed to it being, then, by all means, come in. But 90% of the time these changes are temporary inflammations which aren't important and there's little to be lost in waiting just 2 or 3 weeks. Please join me again at dermtv.com. If you have a question please send me by visiting dermtv.com/question. I'm Dr. Neal Schultz and thank you for watching today.