Skin Cancers? anyone

[m&m's mom]

I have 3 episodes of Basal Skin Cancer over the last 6 years. I average every 2 years having to get something around my nose biopsied; always turns out to be basal. This started right when I hit 40.
I was told basal can definitely spread in the form of "legs" that go deeper in your skin layers making it more difficult to get it all out.
I go to a prominent hospital here in Dallas and always have MOHS. I have had both "flap" and graft plastic surgeries skin cancer repairs.
I have asked many, many Dermos and I hear the jury is still out 100% on zince vs chemical sunscreens. I was advised to alternate using both for best coverage and spread the risks/benefits of both.
I just got off a Disney cruise today and I just brought plain sunscreen ("Broadspectrum"). It was cloudy at Cozumel and we will all got light sunburns.

 

[pocomom]

I just wanted to add don't forget your hands! People always forget to do the tops of their hands with sunscreen and it is the most exposed part. Tinting the car windows is smart! I can't tell you how many times I have gotten a light burn on my left arm when driving around all day.

 

[Jkpark]

So I'm kind of freaking out now (PP not OP in this thread). 5 biopsies last Friday. Tonight they called while I was in bathroom. Voicemail was live person to call office tomorrow for my results. Good news is my derm is open tomorrow and I can call then. Ugh

 

[DVC-Don]

Back in 1995 I had a spot on my neck that did not look right to me. I internet searched and found pictures of melanoma and they looked like my spot. I mentioned it to my family doctor who said he'd like to "keep an eye on it for a while". Not wanting to wait I went to a dermotologist who actually laughed at me and told me I worry too much. My wife knew a general surgeon who she called and he agreed to take a look at it. He told me it was nothing to worry about but, said he'd cut it out if I wanted to. So I had the surgery scheduled and done in 1996. When I went to the follow up the surgeon told me it was malignant melanoma and scheduled a second surgery immediately. After the second surgery I had to have my eyes dilalated and an MRI of my whole body (head included) to check for tumors. I was clean. Turned out it was stage 0 (in situ) and I thank God we were persistant and not just blindly following the doctors.

I now have another dermotologist that I visit yearly (she mapped any moles) to compare and have not had any melanoma incidents. That said I have had two surgeries for basil cell cancers on my head since.

I wear sun screen when ever out in the sun, I wear a hat at all times outside (min 3" brim all around and stay in the shade whenever possible. I also wear SPF shirts that I get online and at Dicks Sporting Goods stores. I've also had my vehicle windows tinted (legal tint).

Funny thing is we had an inground pool installed in our back yard in 1995 but now I only go out there in the evening. So now I have a big chunk missing from my neck but I tell people I got it fighting pirates.

 

[lucigo]

So I'm kind of freaking out now (PP not OP in this thread). 5 biopsies last Friday. Tonight they called while I was in bathroom. Voicemail was live person to call office tomorrow for my results. Good news is my derm is open tomorrow and I can call then. Ugh

What did they say??

 

[tnmt]

ugh, got another one....this time on the side of my nose. Mohs surgery in a few weeks.

 

[msmama]

Op - I had a basal cell removed from my chest. I thought it would be a pretty easy recovery from the MOHs but it was harder than I thought. Apparently that part of me movies way more than I thought! I mean recovery was easy, but I felt the pull of my few stitches more than I thought. And my sons "hugging" was more painful then I expected, too.

I went back every 3 months for the first year, 6 months for the second and third wear and now I'm back to once a year.

I feel like I can't afford to be one of those people who worry about chemicals in sunscreen. I have to use whatever I can!!

My mom wasn't big on sunscreen when I was a kid. I had HORRIBLE sunburns as a kid. Many cases of sun poisoning - which my mom used to call the "itchy-owies".

 

[pampam]

msmomma, I too had basel cell carcinoma between my nose and my eyes. I didn't have mohs because there are no hospitals here that do it, but I did have a surgeon remove it, have it analyzed, removed more, and again while I was under untill the pathologist said it was clear before they sewed me up. When I woke up, I was assured I was cancer free. Since you had MOHs I would think you too would be cancer free. Why do you need all of the followups just mentioned? Maybe I should meet with my surgeon again.

 

[msmama]

msmomma, I too had basel cell carcinoma between my nose and my eyes. I didn't have mohs because there are no hospitals here that do it, but I did have a surgeon remove it, have it analyzed, removed more, and again while I was under untill the pathologist said it was clear before they sewed me up. When I woke up, I was assured I was cancer free. Since you had MOHs I would think you too would be cancer free. Why do you need all of the followups just mentioned? Maybe I should meet with my surgeon again.

I didn't mean to scare you!!

It was the dermatologist who did the Moh's. Statistically, once you have one spot, you're most likely to develop another spot within the first year which is why he does follow-ups like that. The longer you go without developing another cancer spot, the less likely that you ever will - statistically speaking.

 

[mafibisha]

So I'm kind of freaking out now (PP not OP in this thread). 5 biopsies last Friday. Tonight they called while I was in bathroom. Voicemail was live person to call office tomorrow for my results. Good news is my derm is open tomorrow and I can call then. Ugh

Jkpark, it's been a long time but I found this thread through search, and wondered how you are. I hope everything turned out okay for you.

I have 3 episodes of Basal Skin Cancer over the last 6 years. I average every 2 years having to get something around my nose biopsied; always turns out to be basal. This started right when I hit 40.
I was told basal can definitely spread in the form of "legs" that go deeper in your skin layers making it more difficult to get it all out.
I go to a prominent hospital here in Dallas and always have MOHS. I have had both "flap" and graft plastic surgeries skin cancer repairs.
I have asked many, many Dermos and I hear the jury is still out 100% on zince vs chemical sunscreens. I was advised to alternate using both for best coverage and spread the risks/benefits of both.
I just got off a Disney cruise today and I just brought plain sunscreen ("Broadspectrum"). It was cloudy at Cozumel and we will all got light sunburns.

M & M's mom, I am having MOHS and was told I may need a graft or flap. Were you given a choice? Which one was less painful and easier to heal?

Any other experiences anyone would care to share?

TIA.

 

[Tigerlulu]

You know, it seems like a lot of us have had dermatologists that weren't diligent. That's bad!
I had mine take a spot off my chin that he said he had no idea whether or not it would come back positive or not.

Anyway he said basal cell and told me to have MOHS. Closest surgeon is 2 hrs away in Houston. My stepfather does cancer research for MDA and they have a MOHS unit. I self referred there rather than taking the referral to a stand alone clinic from my local doc. Obviously I did consult with his office about it and they even sent my path slides and info to MDA for me.

Kicker is that when I went back to doc here for a skin check he totally blasted me for self referring. I was so shocked that I was speechless. I went back to my MOHS doc who said he would just keep me on as a patient himself.

Biggest lesson I learned is that docs don't just treat people. They run businesses too. This doc sent patients out for surgery and they followed up with him locally (vbeams, whatever). He only refers his melanomas to the best cancer hospital in the world. Well that hospital happens to have a whole unit dedicated just to MOHS. But they do their own follow ups rather than treat and release.

Frankly I'm in better hands with a doc there who is salary based instead of commission and who is an educator in the field.

And (this is the part I like) he actually cares if I like the results of the surgery he did to my face! Part of it had developed a depression and it bothered me so he opened it up and reconstructed it and it's so much better!

So that's my story. Long post from my phone but it's nice to swap stories with other skin cancer people. I don't personally know many people who have had it so I don't talk about it much. It's always hard to hear "the big C" in regards to your health. I wish every doc would be mindful of that!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

This is a good thread to keep current!

Columbia has several lines of clothes that include SPF and are light and cool to wear. Magellan, which I think is the Academy store brand, does as well.

Now I need to go thank my mother for yelling "where's your hat" and "put your hat on" and "don't forget to wear your hat" at me every time I went out into the sun when I was growing up and for making me put on sunblock (blech!) and for lecturing me on the evils of sunbathing when I was growing up.

 

[mafibisha]

You know, it seems like a lot of us have had dermatologists that weren't diligent. That's bad!
Frankly I'm in better hands with a doc there who is salary based instead of commission and who is an educator in the field!

There are some sad stories here. I had already researched my doctors but after this thread, I did a lot more checking on my surgeon, who is board certified (also in Mohs) and department head. Also educator with residents so do check that if you want be sure you have the surgeon doing it and not a resident.

This is a good thread to keep current!

Columbia has several lines of clothes that include SPF and are light and cool to wear. Magellan, which I think is the Academy store brand, does as well.

Now I need to go thank my mother for yelling "where's your hat" and "put your hat on" and "don't forget to wear your hat" at me every time I went out into the sun when I was growing up and for making me put on sunblock (blech!) and for lecturing me on the evils of sunbathing when I was growing up.

I had never thought of buying that type of clothing but I will now.

Anyone else with stories to share about MOHs?

My surgery is coming up soon and I am not looking forward to it!!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

There are some sad stories here. I had already researched my doctors but after this thread, I did a lot more checking on my surgeon, who is board certified (also in Mohs) and department head. Also educator with residents so do check that if you want be sure you have the surgeon doing it and not a resident.



I had never thought of buying that type of clothing but I will now.

Anyone else with stories to share about MOHs?

My surgery is coming up soon and I am not looking forward to it!!

A lot of Columbia clothes are really, really cute! Watch the sizing and try on before you buy though - they haven't done quite the size inflation of other companies. They have several lines made of different kinds of fabric that are all SPF rated. Once you find the line you like, you can pick clothes made from that fabric. It all tends to be very hikey/fishy, but, at least around here, people will wear them to any event where they'll spend all day in the sun. DH swears by Columbia clothes at WDW purely for the ventilation and comfort factor!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My husband had a basal cell carcinoma removed from the right side of his forehead about a year and a half ago. We first went to a dermatologist who biopsied it. He was certain it would could back positive to basal cell carcinoma but had already gave us info to go to another dermatologist who specialized in the Moh Surgery. We went and saw the other doctor and scheduled the procedure. Done in office but they tell you plan on staying most of the day. He'll remove the basal cell carcinoma and then patch you up, send you to waiting room and in the meantime looks at specimen under microscope to make sure he got it all..."the margins" he called it. If not, he'd bring you back in. My husband had to go in once. At home, it's daily dressing changes and doctor is very specific as to what he wants done. I'm a nurse, but it's not complicated at all. Hardly any scar and it was a fairly large area. Can't even tell he's had anything there unless you look real close.

 

[mafibisha]

A lot of Columbia clothes are really, really cute! Watch the sizing and try on before you buy though - they haven't done quite the size inflation of other companies. They have several lines made of different kinds of fabric that are all SPF rated. Once you find the line you like, you can pick clothes made from that fabric. It all tends to be very hikey/fishy, but, at least around here, people will wear them to any event where they'll spend all day in the sun. DH swears by Columbia clothes at WDW purely for the ventilation and comfort factor!

Good to know, thanks.

My husband had a basal cell carcinoma removed from the right side of his forehead about a year and a half ago. We first went to a dermatologist who biopsied it. He was certain it would could back positive to basal cell carcinoma but had already gave us info to go to another dermatologist who specialized in the Moh Surgery. We went and saw the other doctor and scheduled the procedure. Done in office but they tell you plan on staying most of the day. He'll remove the basal cell carcinoma and then patch you up, send you to waiting room and in the meantime looks at specimen under microscope to make sure he got it all..."the margins" he called it. If not, he'd bring you back in. My husband had to go in once. At home, it's daily dressing changes and doctor is very specific as to what he wants done. I'm a nurse, but it's not complicated at all. Hardly any scar and it was a fairly large area. Can't even tell he's had anything there unless you look real close.

Wow that's great. I've heard that before but haven't seen anyone in person.

How long did it take to disappear? IOW what was it like the first few weeks, months?

 

[bdcp]

My DH had malignant melanoma about 10 years ago. He's been cancer free ever since. It was thin and caught early, but honestly, all he does is wear sunscreen and we use umbrellas at the beach. His was on his chest and his scar is pretty visible. We joke and say since he's a guy, he can tell everyone he got into a knife fight

Anyway, his Dr knew almost immediately what it was, even though it was very small. He removed a bit and then sent him to a plastic surgeon who removed the rest. The Dr he went to was the one who reattached John Bobbitt's ahem, bobbitt. We always say we hope he did a better job than he did on DH's chest.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I don't know the exact amount of time it took to heal. I just remember looking at it one day and saying to myself "you can hardly see anything, can't even tell." And it wasn't something that ever "stood out" during the healing process. Never caught my attention. The doctor did a fantastic job. Again, he was certified to do the Moh surgery. Only two doctors in my area are.

 

[queenofheartsfan]

I have had a couple of spots removed from my legs. They were basal cell carcinoma.Healed up fairly quickly. Doc told me to wear sunscreen all the time ( I buy a face cream with sunscreen and a body lotion with sunscreen). She also told me to wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves - even in summer. I have bought some shirts with SPF protection from lands End, and also have a long -sleeved swim shirt with SPF protection.