Skin Cancer :: Basal Cell Carcinoma On Face
Jul 13, 2014
Definitely have the Mohs procedure done and not radiation on the face. I had it just done, they had to cut the size of a nickel out, and did a skin graft over. But it's gone, and over. I am healing now.
New to the forum..and quite frankly this is all still a bit surreal to me. I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on my face above my lip. I never knew it was cancer and initially, when it first appeared on my face (when I was 18!), I thought it was a huge pimple. Eventually it healed into a flesh toned bump and it looked like a raised flesh colored mole, about 0.3 cm in its largest surface dimension.
This whole time I thought it was a poorly healed acne spot and now that I am 24, I decided to go see a dermatologist to have this removed (for cosmetic reasons). He ended up sending it to get biopsied to be safe and it ended up being cancer!
Now, I'm torn between doing Mohs or proceeding with radiation. Since it was in my face for 6 years, I'm afraid maybe the root grew deeper into my skin and they would have to cut out more tissue. All the Google images of post Mohs surgeries look so scary and I'm beginning to feel a bit traumatized that I'll have to go through this on my face.
Can anyone weigh in on how their Mohs surgery/scar healed? If they were to cut out a dime-sized area on your face, would they stitch you up after or would they leave it as an open wound and let it heal that way? What are the implications of how they close the surgery on the scar you are left with afterward? How many days/weeks do you have to wait for the open wound to start looking like a healing scar?
Because of this, I almost want to proceed with radiation so that I don't have to deal with waiting weeks for the scar to heal (I work full time in an office and enjoy going out to hang out in my leisure time, I would not want to be out if I had an open wound healing on my face). I like that it's less invasive and I know that they won't be cutting out a huge part of my face. What worries me about Mohs is that I won't know how big of a chunk they'll be taking off my face. I know Mohs is the gold standard for removing all of the cancer, but radiation treatments can have up to 95%-98% cure rate. IF my basal cell were to recur after proceeding with radiation treatments, would it recur in the same place or would it pop up somewhere else on my face? How does recurrence usually work with basal cell carcinoma?
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My husband was just diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer of the skin called Merkel Cell Carcinoma on his forehead. It was seen previously by our family physician who thought it was just a cyst.
He has received a wide excision of the tumour, but they did not do a SLNB ( sentinel lymph node biopsy).
Though we've been told the borders are clear, from all the research we have been reading, a lymph node biopsy is recommended for accurate staging of the disease and better survival. We are currently awaiting an appointment with an oncologist at Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
We'd love to hear from anyone with information regarding Canadian expertise in this area and failing that, any info. or recommendations to clinics known for their knowledge in treating this. There are many doctors who just don't know anything about it and we are searching for the doctor with experience treating MCC. We are already behind because the plastic surgeon didn't automatically forward the initial biopsy report to our family physician and we went back to the office to request a follow-up with the Cancer Clinic. In the meantime, we hope we will hear soon from Juravinski, since we'd like to get going if he's to do that biopsy and any radiation follow-up treatment.
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I have recently undergone 12 weeks of trauma, including 4 operations under general anaesthetic for a basal cell carcinoma on the side of my nose. It is a legacy from one I had removed 10 years ago, which wasn't totally removed. I went to my GP last year about this lump and she said it was just scar tissue. In February I felt uneasy about this and went back and she referred me to the Maxillofacial Department at our local hospital. I saw the Consultant on 12th May, 5 days after I buried my Dad and my feet never hit the ground until my final op. on 27th July. I had a paramedian skin flap op. where they take a vein from your forehead attached to the skin graft and attach it to your nose for 5 weeks then snip the bit outside and and put the vein back in with a couple of stitches. I am still in a bit of shock at the speed this was all done and I was wondering if anyone out there has had this done this way.
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I have two options: Ellipse Excision (most invasive) and Curettage and Electrodesiccation (least invasive). Derm says with C and D she is not able to tell me if after the surgery all basal cell carcinoma are removed as there is no pathology testing. I'm nervous thinking about what I want the most. Has anyone on the Cancer board had either of these two surgeries. If so, which one was most successful?
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Just diagnosed, surgery this coming week. Anyone have experience with this? Don't feel confident in doctors, have lots of questions.
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In 2013 I was diagnosed with N.E.T. malignant of the ilium where small intestine meet large intestine. They found it during a colonoscopy, when they did the surgery to remove they found one more tumor in the appendix. The tumor in the intestine was 3 cm and the one the the appendix was 1 cm. The one in the intestine went through the wall so they took lymph nodes 12 found only 11 - 1+ , so they said they needed to keep an eye on me for 2 years. These are they results of my chromogranin test which don't make sense to me???
Close to surgery date when I had 2 positive tumors
Chromogranin A
9/13 53. <93
2/14. 97. <93
4/14. 76. <93
7/14. 60. <93
7/15. 92. <93
With the 7/15 test they found 3 enlarged lymph nodes around the surgery area during the C.A.T. scan but very slightly enlarged like 2 mm enlarged each not enough for him to worry. But he's going to retest in January, he said it might be just an infection around the surgical site. But he did a full blood work up and my count wasn't up.
During the 2 years since the surgery I have had extreme pain in the surgical site and in another site in there they've done all external testing they can but when I suggested a colonoscopy to view the surgical site they said my Oncologist said one was not needed to view tumors.
I asked my primary care doctor to speak to the gastrointestinal doctor and they refused to do the test. So I went outside the hospital that did my surgery they refused to do the test saying go back to the place you had your previous test done. So how do I know if this is from the surgical site or the lymph nodes since when I actually had to malignant tumor's my levels were within normal range?
If you need to know more please ask . At this point I'm having a very hard time trusting my physician care.
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A few months back my Dr was checking my thyroid - said it felt soft - sent me for blood tests (MANY hypothyroid symptoms!) (which were ok - TSH only 1.1) and an ultrasound which showed a small 8x7x7mm hypoechoic mass lesion on the lower left lobe of my thyroid. I had a FNA biopsy two weeks ago, today actually, and already found out last Friday that 2 of the 3 pathologists said they can't say what it isn't but to remove it asap and the 3rd said absolutely consistent with papillary carcinoma and to remove it asap as well... so now I am just waiting to have it removed. My Dr absolutely agrees and said get it out! He said depending how bad it is they will decide whether they just remove the mass but will possibly remove the whole thyroid... do they end up doing two surgeries or do they get in there and see its worse then they thought and make the decision right then and there? He explained it is THE cancer to have - although no one wants any cancer... that it is very treatable etc. I'm just stressed and wondering about the whole thing. Is it normal to have normal thyroid levels but have PC?
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I am writing to see if anyone has any ideas for my father in law in Japan. He is in the hospital and the oncologists, and disease specialists cannot diagnose his condition. He has had a fever for over a month, diminishing strength, trouble breathing, and inflamed lymph nodes and spleen. It is my understanding that he has a low white blood cell count as well.
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On my right breast, I have a red skin bump. This bump is not in my breast tissue, just in my skin. It at first, looked like an ingrown hair, so I left it alone. But it's been a few months, and its still not gone and looks worse. It is red and round/oval shaped. If I squeeze it a yellowish puss will come out and maybe bleed. I have done exams on myself and never feel any lumps inside my breast. I"m really scared! I don't know what a cyst looks like and have never had one before.
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I am 12 weeks pregnant and my skin on my bridge of nose/eyebrows, are immediately to the left/right of nose, and on the sides of my mouth down to my chin won't stop peeling. I have tried olive oil, coconut oil and nothing works. I didn't experience this with my first pregnancy nor is my skin ever like this.
I have to exfoliate in the mornings (use baking soda) and gently scrub those areas so it doesn't look so awful but within a few hours, cracked peeling skin. I have tried not exfoliating, nothing works.
Any ideas on what I can use? do? Should I go see a dermatologist?
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I've gotten eczema rashes for the past few years in very small patches on my upper arms and back. While annoying, it was not a big deal. But last week I washed my face and it felt irritated on my forehead. The next day when I looked in the mirror, the entire left side of my forehead had become a rough leathery patch. I was able to get it to go away by softly rubbing away the thickened skin in the shower, but over the course of the week, I have started to develop the same irritated, flaking and thickened skin on my eyelid, below both my eyes, under my bottom lip and on one of my cheeks. I went to the dermatologist who prescribed a ketoconazole and to start washing/moisturizing with cetaphil.
But I'm pretty embarrassed about these patches on my face and the dryness is super uncomfortable so I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get it to go away faster.
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Does anyone here experience inflammation of skin of their face?
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I keep getting red, blotchy and sometimes dry skin on the side of my face that I sleep on (i.e. the one I rest on the pillow). It is usually there when I wake up in the morning and it's getting embarrassing because one side of my face is clear while the other one is red and blotchy. It extends to my neck occasionally too.
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I am 29 Years old. I was having problem on my face skin. So i visited a Doctor who prescribed me Adalen and Glycolic 6. After using that, it was better.
Now I had a function to attend so i used tan pack and have done facial.
After that the affected area got swollen and red. I applied ice cubes and Lacto Calamine. Now the swelling up is not there but the red patch mark is still there.
The affected area got very dry and..when i stretch the skin and leave it. The skin gets lines and squeezed type.
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Hi guys, I have scheduled a visit with a doctor, but in the meantime i would like to know your opinion on those pictures if those spots are possible to be melanoma ? thanks
http://*******.org/image/w7tkb0ze3/
http://*******.org/image/973xrh8dt/
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A few years ago I noticed 3 relatively small moles on my pubic area and didn't think much of it. But it grew much bigger and there are another 2 new moles in that area. I'm worried that it could be melanoma as the size is rather big and it's black but I'm too embarrassed to go to a doctor because the mole is at my inner vagina lip while the other 4 are beside the anus. I'm so worried, please can any doctor here help to see if this seem like melanoma, from the pictures attached?
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I've got a small mole in my head. when I wash my hair, I always scratch it and sometimes it bleeds. I read the acticle about melanoma. Should I visit oncologist or everything is ok with me?
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Awaiting biopsy results, trying not to go crazy. Probably shouldn't be on the Internet.
I've had these spreading brown spots, about 1cm diameter on my lower belly. Several months ago, a crusty little tower rose up out of one of them, which itched and bled. I went to my dr, and he set up referral to derm. But then the crusty little tower turned into a smooth brown bump on one side of the spread-flat-mile. I figured I'd over-reacted, and cancelled the derm appt.
Next time I saw dr, he said I still need to see derm, so I reluctantly called derm and they were booking 3-4 months out. But, they had a cancellation in 2 days! I took it, but then forgot about it. Called to apologize, and lo, they had another cancellation in another 2 days! That time I didn't forget! My daughter said, mom, God must really want you to see the dermatologist. Maybe she was right.
At the appt, he ended up doing a full-body scan, to my relief, because I have many moles and can't see them all. He wants to remove the one I went in about, but he was really alarmed by a mole on my inner thigh that was completely off my radar. It was a dark brown dome, smaller than pencil eraser. He asked a lot of questions about it, and was able to get me back in for its removal last Friday. He said, I don't like the look of this at all! He said he was so glad to remove it. Now I wish I'd taken a picture of it!
My next appt is two weeks from last, where he'll remove stitches and the original mole of concern - which he said was often the case where a different mole at least brought you in, but wasn't the real bad one.
I don't think he was trying to scare me, and I'm not scared. I just want to know already. It's hard to take cancer seriously, in the form of a little mole.
On the other hand, I've been feeling really tired the past year, and especially lately. So now my mind says what if it's NM and in lymph nodes. But I haven't read anything to back that up.
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About 6 months ago It 'appeared as a dark line on my right thumb.
I went to the dermatologist and he told me that when in doubt I'll have to 'do a biopsy. between 45 days. It's not 'too much time to wait in your opinion?
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I'm 40, and was born with ACF. As I age? My face twists more. My neck muscles are obviously larger on my right side, and now my neck aches from constant strain. My parents always said it was no big deal. Any help? I don't know where to go, I'm not sure my Dr. has ever heard of it.
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I am 28 years old. I was using lemon juice on my face for fair and toned skin and it proved quite effective but my beard and mustache started turning white. Someone told me to use tomato juice or potato juice instead of lemon juice to avoid white hairs. my question is that will tomato juice or potato juice will be helpful to get a fair and toned skin without turning my hair white.
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