Skin Cancer?!

Hi D.,

Ok - so I am in NO WAY making light of your health concern. But this is practically no big deal. My mom has had 3 or 4 basal cell carcinomas removed over the past 10 years. At this point she doesn't even blink.

I know it's really scary...... but basal cell doesn't matasticize (or however you spell it) - spread to other organs, so it stays contained and you aren't generally at risk of getting cancer in other parts of your body due to the basal cell carcinoma.

So, take some super deep breaths and try to relax - although I know it's really difficult.

B.

I know it is so hard to wait for results - but you might rest easier knowing that basal cell is the most easily detected and easily treated form of cancer. So many people have gone through this, and a very small percentage had an incurable form.

While I have not had basal or squamous, I had many scares about breast cancer when my mammograms used to come out weird (due to fibrocystic breast disease) and I absolutely hated the calls from the hospital, the return trips to radiology, and the many biopsies. Very anxiety-provoking. I no longer have this problem because of nutritional supplementation which can drastically reduce pre-cancerous conditions but I well remember the stress. Please know that there is a great deal that you can do to treat an existing cancer as well as prevent recurrence. I'd be happy to share my experience but in the meantime, try to assuage your fears by realizing that 7-10 days won't make a difference in your treatment, and you definitely want an accurate report (not one they rushed!).

Your stress will not help you - I hope you will be encouraged by the many responses you will receive on this site.

Hi D., Lee P posted a question like this awhile back. Maybe if you use the search button you can find it, or lists?
Feel better, I, too know people who have them removed from time to time. It IS a big scary name.

:)

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/6427499121799725057

Hi D..

I just had a basal cell carcinoma removed. In fact, I still have the staples from the excision.

I see a dermatologist every 6 months, and just about every time, they remove some suspicious mole or something for biopsy, and over the past 4 years, I've had 6 moles that were progressing toward melanoma that had to be excised, and one basal cell carcinoma excised. The process is the same for both.

My dermatologist numbs the area, and cuts out a football shaped patch of skin/tissue, then closes the area with staples or sutures. It isn't painful other than the pinch/burning of the shots to numb the area, and those don't bother me. And of all the excisions I've had, they've always come back clean after the excision, meaning the surgery removed all the abnormal cells.

It is scary. I remember when I got my first biopsy results back that said that I had a 'pre-cancerous lesion,' and I thought for sure I was dead. But after a lot of reading, and having gone through this now a number of times, I am somewhat desensitized to the process. Don't get me wrong, it's always a little unnerving to realize that I am definitely high risk for developing skin cancer, but I feel good about following up every 6 months to stay on top of things.

And yes, as Theresa N. said, I recently posted a similar question to yours, as this is the first time I've dealt with basal cell carcinoma. Mine have always been varying degrees of dysplasia. But as I said, the process for treating them is the same, as both are contained in the skin cells in the area of the lesion. So the excision removes all those affected cells, and no further treatment is needed.

Try to calm down. If the results do come back as basal cell, it is not a big deal to remove it, and once it's removed, it's gone.

No experience with squamous cell, so can't speak to that, and hope I never have to.

Best wishes.