It all started with a small purple pimple on my scrotum. I was pretty sure it was an ingrown hair, so it was easy to ignore. Then it turned into a dime-sized rash that looked and felt a lot like jock itch. I wasn’t overly concerned.

When I finally showed the rash to my family doctor, nine months later, she concurred with my self-diagnosis and suggested trying a different antifungal cream. When the rash didn’t go away I went back to my doctor and she invited one of her colleagues to also take a look. They both agreed it was jock itch but I just needed a stronger treatment. By this time the dime-sized rash had grown to the size of a quarter.

After a year, when the rash remained, I decided to ask my dermatologist to take a look. (As someone with a past history of malignant melanoma – diagnosed more than two decades ago – I visit a dermatologist annually.) The dermatologist continued down the same path of treating a fungal problem. On the second visit he decided I must have an allergic reaction from either shampoo, soap or fabric softener. After five more months of chasing the problem, I requested a biopsy.