General Skin cancer - don't fuck around

[User.168]

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[Huntn]

Some time at the beginning of last year I noticed a spot had developed on my left arm, just below the elbow. I also noticed a similar spot on the back of my left leg, just below the knee. I do not like such things on my body, so initially I tried some home remedies, but it would always come back no matter how often I picked it.

I decided that this may be serious, so I went to see the doc a few months ago. He reckons it looks like basal cell carcinoma, or a rodent ulcer. Luckily it's very slow spreading and does not usually infect other parts of the body.

I grew up outside surfing and playing football and rugby in a very hot country. I knew the risks, but I often didn't use sunscreen. Then, when I moved to the UK 16 years ago I thought that the sun here posed no risk, considering where I grew up, so I used sunscreen even less. When you are young you think you are invincible. Next week I am going in to get this shit cut out and hopefully that will be the end of that.

Just a little public service announcement: don't fuck around. Use sunscreen no matter where you live. I got off lucky with just a warning it seems.

Do they actually cut it or freeze it? What about scarring? Good luck!

 

[User.168]

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[Huntn]

I wear a hat and sun glasses, but admit I shoukd be more worried about sun screen and actually apply it more than I do.

 

[Alli]

And this is true no matter what color you are.

 

[DT]

I grew up outside surfing and playing football and rugby in a very hot country. I knew the risks, but I often didn't use sunscreen.

Same surfing, boating, didn't do a good job with sunscreen.

Thanks. In this case they are going to cut it out, I believe. I'll let you know next week Wednesday.

It's my understanding surgical removal allows for better margins, with a lower case of recurrence. I mean, either is pretty low, but I'm always up for the best odds.

I'll probably end up with a bad ass looking scar.

Yes. If you ask, they'll even make it unnecessarily bigger

 

[AG_PhamD]

I tried some home remedies, but it would always come back no matter how often I picked it.

Picking, the oldest and worst home remedy

Glad to hear it’s likely BCC, if all the cancers to have that’s one of the better ones to have.

I just found out a relative of mine has stomach cancer. There’s still a lot of pending information but it sounds like it was caught early and it’s localized… so hopefully a better prognosis relatively speaking.

 

[User.45]

Picking, the oldest and worst home remedy

Glad to hear it’s likely BCC, if all the cancers to have that’s one of the better ones to have.

I just found out a relative of mine has stomach cancer. There’s still a lot of pending information but it sounds like it was caught early and it’s localized… so hopefully a better prognosis relatively speaking.

Good luck to your relative. Tell them to make sure it gets molecular *testing (or gene sequencing). A lot of these stomach cancers turn out to be Her2 positive which even if not necessarily as superb a target as in breast cancer, it is a pretty good option down the line if needed. Based on my own experience, this isn't yet a standard thing.

Some time at the beginning of last year I noticed a spot had developed on my left arm, just below the elbow. I also noticed a similar spot on the back of my left leg, just below the knee. I do not like such things on my body, so initially I tried some home remedies, but it would always come back no matter how often I picked it.

I decided that this may be serious, so I went to see the doc a few months ago. He reckons it looks like basal cell carcinoma, or a rodent ulcer. Luckily it's very slow spreading and does not usually infect other parts of the body.

I grew up outside surfing and playing football and rugby in a very hot country. I knew the risks, but I often didn't use sunscreen. Then, when I moved to the UK 16 years ago I thought that the sun here posed no risk, considering where I grew up, so I used sunscreen even less. When you are young you think you are invincible. Next week I am going in to get this shit cut out and hopefully that will be the end of that.

Just a little public service announcement: don't fuck around. Use sunscreen no matter where you live. I got off lucky with just a warning it seems.

My heart sank for a second thinking you had melanoma. Basal cell is largely just a nuisance. In my household I'm the sunscreen police. My wife has a tendency to forget she can't get tan at all. What usually happened is I chilled out like the guy who's never had a sunburn, but saw my wife's skin gradually turn lobster color.

 

[AG_PhamD]

Good luck to your relative. Tell them to make sure it gets molecular *testing (or gene sequencing). A lot of these stomach cancers turn out to be Her2 positive which even if not necessarily as superb a target as in breast cancer, it is a pretty good option down the line if needed. Based on my own experience, this isn't yet a standard thing.

Thanks. This is my fathers sister, who is in her early 70’s. I did some skimming of what treatments look like these days and I did notice HER2 targeted treatments. I haven’t really dealt with oncology since my residency about a decade ago.

My heart sank for a second thinking you had melanoma. Basal cell is largely just a nuisance. In my household I'm the sunscreen police. My wife has a tendency to forget she can't get tan at all. What usually happened is I chilled out like the guy who's never had a sunburn, but saw my wife's skin gradually turn lobster color.

For a moment my mind went to the same place too. Melanoma would be terrible. I am relieved that is not the case.

 

[User.168]

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[Thomas Veil]

I am back from the skin specialist doc and all is well. Arm is a little bit sore. Lower leg was just an old age ship barnacle

Glad to hear that! Now stop hanging your lower legs off the dock all day long.

 

[DT]

Basal cell is largely just a nuisance.

That was my understanding, lots of it around here, the neighbor had a number removed. It isn't the precursor to something worse, it can just destroy tissue, not look great, be itchy/sore (an abrasion that never heals), and around your face, they can get really problematic without treatment.

I am back from the skin specialist doc and all is well. Arm is a little bit sore. Lower leg was just an old age ship barnacle

Ha! Those barnacles can also be removed, but they actually do have some home treatments that greatly reduce them, even completely dissolve them (there's some simple creams your doc can prescribe that nukes them pretty quickly).