Holiday shock! [shock]

Grannyactivist, that made me laugh! When you are young you never imagine getting any older do you? That young lady needs a word in her ear about the reality of life. I wonder what age she thinks she will be ready to die?

How common this is these days and, although it may not seem it, how lucky you were to meet and chat with this man.

Similarly I commented to two friends on different occasions and who do not know each other that I thought they should make appointments to check small marks on their noses. How lucky they both were. They were both seen to promptly and treated successfully.

Better safe than sorry.

Best wishes by the way, try not to let it spoil your holiday. Worry is like a rocking horse - it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere.

grannyactivist - what a good thing you met this man! I can tell you that you are not alone in falling prey to basal cell carcinoma without being a sun worshipper as I have two married friends who spend a lot of time abroad in hot sunshine and they both wear peaked caps, and one of them never, ever sits in the sun but always dries off from swimming under the shade. They have, however, both had basal cell carcinomas and they have both had them treated successfully. Good luck.

Um, I had a basal cell in a place where the sun don't shine!!

I’ve had a sore area on my chin. Like you, not a sunbather. I mentioned it to my GP last week in an appointment for something else and he thought it looked like a BCC. The problem is that it’s not considered urgent here and the waiting list on the NHS is 14 months to get an appointment. I paid to go to the private hospital, even though I really can’t afford it and was seen straight away. I’m having it removed in October as it is a cancer. I hope that your waiting list isn’t so bad where you live.

GrannyA
Well, that was both welcome and unwelcome news, wasn't it but I'm pleased that your new holiday friend decided to speak up.
I might add, that the sun doesn't have to be visible for it to affect your skin.

Perhaps you can ring from where you're staying to make an urgent appointment for the week in which you return home, it might save a few days delay.
Then relax, knowing that all is in hand.
Best wishes to you and please do let us know the outcome.

What a good doctor to be so vigilant yet also tactful.
But a bit of a let-down if you thought at first he might be about to ask for your phone number

Hope all goes well for you grannya - how fortunate that you met this chap.

Well don't worry about the delay in having it looked at, that type of cancer is pretty slow growing and slow to spread, so there isn't any huge urgency.

The make up girl at my sons wedding last year mentioned I should go and see about a little spot on my nose. It took 6 months to get an appointment with Dermatology after my GP sent referral. It was a BCC and I have just finished treatment with cream and although still quite red it seems to have cured it. I should get a letter for a follow up soon. I think it is very common and nothing to worry too much about!

Hi my good friend noticed a spot on my nose and as she has had at least 3 bcc thought I should check it. Went to gp saw dermatologist within 2 weeks had a biopsy said it would be a cream to remove it. Surgeon has decided to take it out which is happening next Tues. Again it's sunny damage from when we were kids. So like me think you've had alucky break. The gentleman prob felt bad saying something whilst your all on holiday but would have felt worse not saying anything. So keep in touch with him and like me I'm sure you will be thanking him. Yes I know it's a shock I just thought I had a spot that wouldn't go. So good luck and keep us posted.

My daughter was out with her sister and a man standing behind them tapped her on the shoulder and said “I hope you dont mind me saying this but you have a mole on your back that probably should be checked out” of course she panicked and was going on holiday the following day so couldn’t do anything until she came back. She did go to the doctor and although it was ok at that point the doctors is keeping a regular check on it.

I was sat in a pub with a group of friends and I noticed an angry looking patch on the back of male friends ear. All evening I was worrying and trying to pluck up courage to mention it, but when I got the chance I mentioned it to him. He was fine about it as he said he had felt something there but could not see it because of where it was.
He rang me a few days later saying how thankful he was that I had mentioned it as he had been to see his doctor who thought that it may be cancerous.
After a biopsy it turned out to be a melanoma which has since been operated on and he has had the all clear.
I am so glad my being nosy was for once useful.

A hairdresser spotted a black patch on the hairline at the back of my neck and told me I ought to see a doctor. I promptly forgot all about it until my sister, a retired GP, also noticed it and said I needed to have it checked out. She, along with my GP and the dermatologist said it might or might not be a malignant melanoma. But it was. My careless attitude could have killed me, but fortunately they got it in time and so far (about 15 years later) there has been no recurrence.

I too have had a bcc on my nose,saw a dermatologist who said I must have it removed but as it was not life threatening it would take some months to see a surgeon on NHS. Decided to see plastic surgeon privately. Required a bit of an ear transplanted to my nose! All well, hardly see the join!
Cost the price of a holiday but well worth it.
Good luck - let us know how you get on.

PS. GA, I'm glad that you have heeded the warning and got things moving. I know, better than most, how vital it is to listen and take action. My BiL recently had a BCC successfully treated on the side of his nose. What is it about noses? I suppose they do seem to catch the sun more easily than any other part of the body!

Apparently, shins are also a site for cancers too, which I only found out the other day.
So, keep an eye out on your legs too.

Just to reassure you this is the most common kind of skin cancer. My partner had this for a couple of years before I got him to go to the docs, they can sometimes treat with a topical cream .

I went to dermatogist with a spot on my cheek which turned out to be a BCC but at the same time he noticed a brown spot on the other cheek which I thought was an age spot turned out to be the start of a melanoma. The BCC was treated by ointment and the melanoma by surgery. Now no sign of either.

I don't sunbathe but I got a malignant melanoma. Luckily I spotted it quickly as it was on my shin and being summer I was wearing skirts and had it removed within weeks. My consultant said there is a a lot of women in their 60s, 70s and 80s getting various skin cancers because they got burnt as children before we knew the dangers and before there was suntan cream. I always thought melanoma starts from a mole but mine didn't just a little pink patch appeared that within a week became brown and crinkled. I check my skin often and husband checks my back.

I have had a few BCC’s removed from my face, scarring from one is a bit more visible than I would like. Wouldn’t even know I have two others removed.... My dermatologist told me the damage was already done as a child. My childhood summers were spent sunburnt, covered in calamine lotion, little did we know! I’m sure you will be as beautiful as ever once its gone. Very fortunate meeting I would say... Good luck ?

Grannyactivist please do not worry - BCC is not to be too worried about. I had to wait 10 months to be treated after referral and ended up with two eyebrow shapes (one 7cms long, the other 5cms long) after being removed on my back. First treated over two years in 2010 and then again last November. They may return as mine did but better removed now than later. And I now only sunbathe VERY carefully. Good luck.

Best of luck with the Doc's appointment.

What a helpful dermatologist. I too have had one on my chest treated 18 years ago with minor surgery. Recently I have had several solar keratoses which can turn into BCCs treated by self applied cream. And not being the most deft of people, I looked very leprous for a few days. But all healed very quickly. ?