Skin Cancer

[isuno1fan]

Wife just had a spot biopsied this week and sure enough...Basal Cell Carcinoma. Thankfully, that is the "best" skin cancer to have and resolving it is fairly easy. Gotta wait 4 weeks before they can get her back in to finish it off though which is kind of annoying.

She's only 37 so paranoid now about every little blemish on her body.

Anyone else here had to deal with this?

 

[CLONECONES]

My parents have had similar cases... I hear it's actually fairly common - graft it outta there and keep up with the follow up visits and youll be fine

 

[isuno1fan]

Yeah...I've had several moles removed throughout my lifetime, but they've all been benign so far. One of those things I guess. I feel bad for her and keep trying to tell her it isn't a big deal...very common and easy to resolve, but all she hears is "you have cancer". I think if they could get her in earlier to take care of it then it would be better. 4 weeks of her worrying about it is probably going to wear on me.

 

[Angie]

My dad had it - it was very easy to treat, but it's scary. I've done radiation for a different type of cancer, but you just plug through it. She'll do great, I'm sure they got a pretty good margin and can tell her if it spread.

 

[CLONECONES]

Yeah...I've had several moles removed throughout my lifetime, but they've all been benign so far. One of those things I guess. I feel bad for her and keep trying to tell her it isn't a big deal...very common and easy to resolve, but all she hears is "you have cancer". I think if they could get her in earlier to take care of it then it would be better. 4 weeks of her worrying about it is probably going to wear on me.

there's no real easy way to hear that, but after a bit of discussion with your care provider she'll come to terms. just give it some time

 

[isuno1fan]

Pretty small spot...just makes you wonder about all the other spots on your body all of a sudden. This just started with an itchy spot that would bleed a little and then "heal". After a few months, I told her to get it checked out. Pretty shocked it was actually something.

 

[NATEizKING]

My gf got a new mole on her foot and one on the inside of her lip. The foot got checked out this week and haven't heard back, the lip requires a different doctor.

 

[WhatchaGonnaDo]

Yes, easy to treat. But, it can get rough if left untreated or ignored. Just have to keep up with it. My family has a fairly extensive history with skin cancer. I've been clear so far (only 20 right now), but I am always on the lookout...paranoid to some extent.

 

[DoOrDie]

I'm super paranoid about skin cancer. Best of luck! You are right - basal cell carcinomas are easy to treat if caught early. Always be vigilant - skin cancer rates will only continue to rise with our generation.

 

[3TrueFans]

Cancer of any kind is scary, best of luck!

I personally combat skin cancer by never leaving my parent's basement.

 

[SpokaneCY]

Wife just had a spot biopsied this week and sure enough...Basal Cell Carcinoma. Thankfully, that is the "best" skin cancer to have and resolving it is fairly easy. Gotta wait 4 weeks before they can get her back in to finish it off though which is kind of annoying.

She's only 37 so paranoid now about every little blemish on her body.

Anyone else here had to deal with this?

I grew up on a golf course and in a swimming pool (Echo Valley CC then DMCC) and did the blistering burn every summer for too many years. Went to my normal derm when I was 25-ish and we started taking moles off. We'd take 2 off a year and each one would test as (at the time) a dysplastic nevus. Basically pre-cancer. After moving and changing doctors and doing the same routine, my derm quit cutting them out saying we know exactly what they will be - dysplastic nevi. For him, unless and until we started seeing changes in any of them, we would leave them all in place.

Several years ago - age 44-ish - I had a sore open on my forehead that grew quickly. Went in, biopsy, and its basal. Cut it out but then on the other side of my forehead - about a month later - had the same thing. Another basal... cut it out. Then I asked about the crusty thing on my ear. Squamous. Used some anti-cancer cream that made my face peel and bleed but it went away.

Long story short - NO big deal with the basal and squamous. For me its paying the price of my childhood but I am pretty rigorous about both sunscreen and my annual full body (sack included) skin cancer check with my derm. As far as cancers go, you'll never see a telethon or road race or even a wristband for basal or squamous cancer.

 

[Cyfan4good]

Wife just had a spot biopsied this week and sure enough...Basal Cell Carcinoma. Thankfully, that is the "best" skin cancer to have and resolving it is fairly easy. Gotta wait 4 weeks before they can get her back in to finish it off though which is kind of annoying.

She's only 37 so paranoid now about every little blemish on her body.

Anyone else here had to deal with this?

Yes. About four years ago had a spot on my face come back Basal Cell. Went back in about three weeks to have it removed. He used local anesthetic and took a about a 1/4" by 1" strip. I have a slight scar that I tell people I got when a hawkeye cut me one day. Dr.'s a Iowa grad.
Not to worry, I got his tires on the way out of the parking lot.

 

[isuno1fan]

I grew up on a golf course and in a swimming pool (Echo Valley CC then DMCC) and did the blistering burn every summer for too many years. Went to my normal derm when I was 25-ish and we started taking moles off. We'd take 2 off a year and each one would test as (at the time) a dysplastic nevus. Basically pre-cancer. After moving and changing doctors and doing the same routine, my derm quit cutting them out saying we know exactly what they will be - dysplastic nevi. For him, unless and until we started seeing changes in any of them, we would leave them all in place.

Several years ago - age 44-ish - I had a sore open on my forehead that grew quickly. Went in, biopsy, and its basal. Cut it out but then on the other side of my forehead - about a month later - had the same thing. Another basal... cut it out. Then I asked about the crusty thing on my ear. Squamous. Used some anti-cancer cream that made my face peel and bleed but it went away.

Long story short - NO big deal with the basal and squamous. For me its paying the price of my childhood but I am pretty rigorous about both sunscreen and my annual full body (sack included) skin cancer check with my derm. As far as cancers go, you'll never see a telethon or road race or even a wristband for basal or squamous cancer.

As mentioned, I've had a ton of moles (I think about 2 dozen) removed during my lifetime. Every one checked out ok until this last year and one came back atypical. Had to go back in and they cut wider margins and supposedly it was ok. Said it was mild to moderate dysplastic so nothing too major, but the think healed as a keloid in the middle of my back and now I have this really nasty looking scar. I actually go in for my annual screening in a couple weeks. Derm hasn't seen it since last year. I'm sure she'll love the keloid scarring.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Not skin cancer, but breast cancer gallops through my wife's family. Plus there's the abnormal amount of scar tissue that my wife has in her uterus, putting her at greater risk for ovarian and uterine cancer. So there's those things we hope and pray to never find on my wife's body.

 

[ISUcy08]

I just mentioned this a few days ago in the surgery thread. I had surgery to get melanoma cut of of my stomach in early April. I was very lucky. Was stage 2 before I even went in. Grew out instead of deep, or I would be screwed. Very paranoid of the sun now. Every morning when she gets out of the shower just slather sunscreen all over her . That's what I do.

BTW, 4 weeks sounds like a long time. I found out on a Monday and was in the operating room on Friday. If you feel like it should be earlier I would let them know and see what they can do for you. But trust them, because they deal with deal and treat it everyday. Hers may be very early.

 

[bugs4cy]

A fellow chick here, with over 10 separate spots of basal cell removed in the last 15 years.

First couple removed in my mid 20's. From areas that NEVER saw the sun. The doc wanted to ignore them until I demanded one be removed because it sat right under the underwire in my bra, irritating the heck out of that spot. Once biopsied, it came back basal cell and suddenly I had about 5 more spots removed on my stomach. Eventually, more removed on my neck and shoulders - places that have seen lots of sun exposure.

Few years ago I got what appeared to by a sty on my lower left eyelid. Went to the doc repeatedly over the course of about 18 months and each time they wrote it off to being a persistent sty. I've had many a sty before, and I knew it was NOT. At the Wolf Clinic a doc made an offhand comment that if I was older or had a history of skin cancer, then they'd biopsy. When I told him about my history, a biopsy was done on the spot. In 2010 I had a Mohs procedure done by Dr. Bean and reconstruction (4 x 8 mm square take off my lower lid) at Wolf with Dr Cassidy. Looks awesome today. Turns out wearing a pirate patch for awhile is not near as fun as you might think...
frown:
From my experience basal cell is both sun exposure and genetics. You watch for spots. If they grow or change, go to the doctor. PM me if you your wife wants to talk about anything. I've run this race many times before and can talk her off the ledge.

 

[CyStalker]

I worked in a plastic surgeons office for years and saw patients every week to close a mohs procedure (that is the procedure to remove the cancer). Although hearing the words basal cell carcinoma can be overwhelming, know that it is very common and we will all have to deal with this if we live long enough. Once the margins are clear, it is gone. I once worked for a surgeon that related it to a cavity, remove it and it's over. You just need to make friends with a good dermatologist and stay on top of anything else that changes. Just like a cavity, the smaller and sooner detected, the easier to take care of. Keep your chin up.

 

[Falselife]

Wife just had a spot biopsied this week and sure enough...Basal Cell Carcinoma. Thankfully, that is the "best" skin cancer to have and resolving it is fairly easy. Gotta wait 4 weeks before they can get her back in to finish it off though which is kind of annoying.

She's only 37 so paranoid now about every little blemish on her body.

Anyone else here had to deal with this?

Did she get Moh's microsurgery?

 

[isuno1fan]

Did she get Moh's microsurgery?

No...she goes back in on August 8th for electrodesiccation and curettage. No Moh's surgery for this one. It was a nodule type BCC.

 

[acgclone]

Cancer is never good, but at least skin cancer can be fairly easily treated and spotted (especially now that she knows she has a history). Only 12,000 people die each year from skin cancer, so it really isn't as big of a problem as many other forms of cancer.

I'm not trying to make light of it, but give you a more positive way of looking at it.

Unlike most forms of cancer, it can be visualized and excised (cut out), which makes it better than most other forms.

My dad has dealt with melanoma for over 20 years and it's fairly easily managed once it's identified typically.