Basal Cell Carcinoma

Good luck to everyone who is waiting for results or treatments. I've had 2 BCC's removed from my scalp. The first one was very large at the front of my scalp and the second was an offshoot of the large one.
The large one was removed and just had a covering and stitches. After 2 weeks the cover and stitches was removed and the open wound was left to heal by itself .. healing by secondary intention I think it's called.
Gradually new skin formed and I have a shiny bald patch which my hairdresser manages to cover over when she styles my hair.
Please don't neglect yourself as I did.

lovetravel, best wishes for tomorrow

Nothing to worry about.

I was quite anxious but met someone in waiting room who had had several done. Reassured by him.

The medics did chat a lot, but I think that was to keep me calm. All in all it was a fascinating procedure.

Mine took the form of an odd looking pimple on my upper chest. It was a damn nuisance in summer months as the seat belt rubbed on it. Eventually I asked my GP who got a magnifying glass out and in a surprised voice told me that "my pimple had a blood supply of its own"

My scar was quite a long one ( probably because I had left the pimple too long ! ) but it has now healed up really well and is barely noticeable.

All the very best to everyone having this procedure.

I’m going in tomorrow to have 2 removed. One is on my leg and looks like a possible Bowens and one on my upper chest I couldn’t see looking down. The consultant dermatologist thinks it’s a BCC which shocked me. I went to see him last week only about my forehead as I had an itchy red patch that just wouldn’t go away he thinks that was a solar ketstosis. He used cryotherapy on it and also on a mole on my neck. The cryotherapy is uncomfortable to have done but acceptable. I had a headache afterwards. I really hope tomorrow goes ok for the other two which will require local anaesthetic.

Thinking of you sunflower, keep posting about your progress

Karmalady,
No consultation ‘till Tues. Just the referral by the doctor who thinks it’s BCC. I presume they’ll deal with it on the day if confirmed. Thanks for the info on Cryo. I didn’t know if I would be given a choice so was keen to know how to choose. I’d rather they used which ever method gets it all.
I am keeping busy and Tues. doesn’t seem too far away.

Excellent news Karmalady. Must be a relief.

sunflower have you had the consultation? If they offer you cryotherapy then I would recommend, the pain went in a couple of hours and the bad stuff drops off in 7-10 days and new skin takes its place. The cream is a very slow methodical process. I had to keep my eyes tight shut

The not knowing is what is making you so anxious, as it was for me. Can you find a project that will take your mind of it? It was on my mind all the time, so I made a pair of complicated dungarees, it was slow and steady and zen as I needed to de-stress. Then I went to bed tired and my mind was not so whizzy and full of `what ifs`

Karmalady,
So glad it went well. Thanks for updating us. It is nerve wracking until you know what you’re dealing with. I have considered going private but my app. is next Tues. Trying not to get too anxious but if they were to delay it I would go private. I think your £250 was well spent.

I'm glad the appointment went well karmalady and that you are now worry free.

PS very well done primrose, I am glad you spoke to her

yes living alone, it is impossible to check your back closely, even with two mirrors. Your friend has `hopefully` dodged a bullet and has been lucky. Both melanoma and squamous cancer can metastaze, squamous is slower. I even thought of getting a plumbers mirror but even then I would not have been able to see close enough. I have to put vaseline on both areas every day, been wondering how to do the back mole. A long wooden spoon covered in cling film

My dd is a dentist and yesterday she told me about when she spots a very small mouth lesion that she is not sure about, she refers her patient to a consultant. She always tells her patient that private consultation is £200 and they will have the appointment in two weeks, nhs is free and the appointment will take 12 months. They always go the private route. She also said that some of her patients were prioritised for operations within days.

Nip it in the bud is key and after my nice experience today, I will never hesitate to go privately if I have any worries which are not enough to bother the GP with, or which would involve a scary wait

I was behind a lady at a cashpoint queue a while ago. It was hot so she had on a strappy low backed top. She had a nasty looking mole in the middle of her back so I asked her if she had had it checked out as I had had skin cancer.

She said she lived alone and didn’t even know it was there but thanked me and said she would see her GP asap. I often wonder how she got on.

Brave lady Karma I am so glad it has all worked out well for you.
I met a friend in the supermarket a couple of weeks ago and on enquiring how her summer been was horrified to learn that in the course of a telephone appointment with her doctor she mentioned an itchy area on her back, around the bra strap area. Summoned to the surgery, the dr looked at it, took pictures and referred her to a Dermatologist.
LSS “it “ was removed plus a bit of the surrounding area and sent for biopsy. That came back as a malignant melanoma but they thought they had got it all. However, checked her lymph nodes, and yes, it was in one of them so she has now had a full MRI neck to pelvis to check the rest!
I was horrified as she said she had felt fine and could so easily have missed mentioning the mole or whatever it was. Divorced, she, like me, lives alone - so how do you check your back? Who do you ask to check for you?
It scared me, to be frank.

Sunflower, if it is ok with you, I will put a post about my dermatology consultation this morning

Two weeks ago, I noticed via a torch and magnifier, that the scaly skin on my nose had changed to something different and had spread. Having had a tiny bcc reoved on 2006, I know that there is a risk of getting bcc again. Then I also spotted a patch that looked like red woven cloth and that scared me to pieces.

Hence the fast track to see a dermatologist privately, it cost £200 and I waited two weeks. He carefully examined that area with a special scope and told me that I had actinitic keratosis, which I know if ignored could lead to squamous cell cancer. I was really pleased to hear that there was no bcc and that it was AK plus broken blood vessels

He gave me a choice of cream to use over quite a long time, or instant treatment with cryotherapy and this is what I had. It felt like being bombarded with sharp slivers of glass and was pretty painful afterwards but it will get rid of the AK and hence the chance of getting squamous cell cancer in that area

It has been a very long two weeks. The cryotherapy cost £50 and he also got rid of a big dark mole on my back, a sebaceous keratosis. Every penny was well spent

Joseann

Afterwards, don't worry if you have slight bleeding from the wound on your pillow, even after the stitches have been removed. It was explained to me that it is quite common after head incisions.

Ok thanks.

PamelaJ1

karmalady I hope all goes well..
My tips- If you are right handed ask them to take the skin from your left side if applicable.
I’ve got a long scar on my shoulder blade and it still hurts if I have to drive. The seat belt rubs across it. It would have made my life easier if it had been taken from the other side.
My consultant took skin from a tanned area on my neck* and it looks quite brown. Ask if this makes a difference.
* I have been so careful of my skin for the last 55years but ,as you said, the damage was done years ago.

Hope all goes well.

Thank you. I’m hoping it won’t need a skin graft but will bear your tips in mind.

Grammaretto

Good luck
I had MOHS surgery on mine on the bridge of my nose.
I spent a day at the dermatology dept having small bits being removed and then tested, removed and then tested until no abnormal cells were found.
Finally a piece of skin from my forehead was pulled down to cover the gap and I think she sewed 9 stitches. Luckily she was a neat sewer and the stitches are straight.

It took a while to heal and if sunlight gets on the scar it glows red..

The most disconcerting part for me was that the team (4 of them) chatted away happily to me, to eachother the entire time. when I thought they should be concentrating
I asked if I should be ultra careful about exposure to sunlight but was told to wear a sunhat which I do. I wish we had a bit more sun to shelter from

Thank you.
That’s a bit disconcerting. (My dentist recently did the same while I was having a filling. She chatted away to her assistant while working on me about where they’d been out!!! I wasn’t impressed.)
I’ve worn suncream on my face winter and summer, plus wrap around sunglasses and a sun visor.
Glad you’ve got yours sorted.

karmalady

I am attending an appointment to see a consultant tomorrow and am also very anxious. My lesions cover about half my nose and it has happened quite quickly, hence me paying to go privately. I had to wait two weeks for the appointment and am bracing myself to use my savings as I am sure there will have to be quite intensive treatment

Using the knowledge that I have I think mine will likely be squamous cell and I am fully expecting treatment to involve skin graft as nose skin is very thin.

Btw, these `bad` cells were often formed during childhood and start to appear as cancers when our immunity system gets weaker with older age.

Very best of luck tomorrow. Do let us know how it goes. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Yes, damage almost certainly done years ago. I didn’t know they occurred due to weakening immunity with age though.

PamelaJ1

Most BCC’s are really easily dealt with. Yours sounds as though it is in a position that won’t be too noticeable.
The local anaesthetic is the worst bit, just do deep breathing. Good luck.

Thank you. Yes, and hopefully mine’s not considered that big.

Afterwards, don't worry if you have slight bleeding from the wound on your pillow, even after the stitches have been removed. It was explained to me that it is quite common after head incisions.

Thank you very much for those very useful tips.

karmalady I hope all goes well..
My tips- If you are right handed ask them to take the skin from your left side if applicable.
I’ve got a long scar on my shoulder blade and it still hurts if I have to drive. The seat belt rubs across it. It would have made my life easier if it had been taken from the other side.
My consultant took skin from a tanned area on my neck* and it looks quite brown. Ask if this makes a difference.
* I have been so careful of my skin for the last 55years but ,as you said, the damage was done years ago.

Hope all goes well.

Good luck
I had MOHS surgery on mine on the bridge of my nose.
I spent a day at the dermatology dept having small bits being removed and then tested, removed and then tested until no abnormal cells were found.
Finally a piece of skin from my forehead was pulled down to cover the gap and I think she sewed 9 stitches. Luckily she was a neat sewer and the stitches are straight.

It took a while to heal and if sunlight gets on the scar it glows red..

The most disconcerting part for me was that the team (4 of them) chatted away happily to me, to eachother the entire time. when I thought they should be concentrating
I asked if I should be ultra careful about exposure to sunlight but was told to wear a sunhat which I do. I wish we had a bit more sun to shelter from

I am attending an appointment to see a consultant tomorrow and am also very anxious. My lesions cover about half my nose and it has happened quite quickly, hence me paying to go privately. I had to wait two weeks for the appointment and am bracing myself to use my savings as I am sure there will have to be quite intensive treatment

Using the knowledge that I have I think mine will likely be squamous cell and I am fully expecting treatment to involve skin graft as nose skin is very thin.

Btw, these `bad` cells were often formed during childhood and start to appear as cancers when our immunity system gets weaker with older age.