Basal Cell Carcinoma

jeepmo · February 2004

Hi out there! I'm a 35 year old female who's had 4 basal cells removed so far. The first one was over 15 years ago, on my arm, and the last 3 were by my ear. I had the Mohs Technique to have it removed and am happy with the cosmetic result, yet I am just curious as to anyone else's experiences. I'm concerned that the last 3 recurred so close together, within months of each other. I know Basal cell is the "best" sort of cancer to get, regarding a cure rate and it's tendency to stay put and just cause local damage.. yet when, if at all, should I be more concerned? And besides the signs for other skin changes, are there other health factors I should be alert for?

While I am pale and freckled, of celtic descent (which are risk factors) I have not had blistering sunburns as a child, never did the tanning salons OR even sunbathed much then or now. I don't work with chemicals, don't have a family history of it, don't work outdoors, etc. So while I know that anyone can get it, it's just disconcerting to realize how much we are all at risk for it.
Any feedback would be much appreciated. Good thoughts and wishes to all those out there.

Cole41 · April 2004

Hi,
I have found a DNA skin repair cream that has been very helpful to a number of folks.I use it everyday.If you'd like more info on it e-mail me atedevey@aol.com
Thanks
Colleen

LindaGM · September 2004

Hi, I am a 56 year old female. Sorry jeepmo,I really wish I could give you answers, but all I can give you is what I have experienced. I have had skin cancer on my nose off & on for approx 10yrs now - it just keeps reoccuring. I have had freezing, mohs surgery (4.5hrs awake), 6wks radiation therapy, & my last treatment was Kemo Cream therapy and it still has come back. When I saw my doctor (a plastic surgeon) with the cancer clinic, he told me I would have to have a total nose reconstruction done as there was no skin left to sew together if I had another operation. When I had the Mohs (sp?) operation, they had to take some skin from behind my ear to close up the wound. I certainly wish you luck and hope it never comes back again.

michelle4193 · December 2004

Hey I'm so glad to find somebody my age who has the same thing. i'm 38 and have had 37 places removed I too have had the Mohs treatment more recently i've been given "aldara" which comes with a horrible cycle of blistering,scabing then finally the peeling away of the cancer skin, to me it's a godsend if i can get through the 5 weeks of uncomfortableness like a cigerette burn but there is no scaring and no visable signs of the cancer. i have had 32 surgerys to remove the tumors under neath my skin. I've always thought its not going to kill me but it could lead to more cancer somewhere esle. How are you doing now ? any more more spots?do you feel like theres no light at the end of this tunnel that i can't seems to get a hold on Please respond back I'd love to talk more

Luke15_7 · January 2005

I agree, jeepmo, I also never spent much time in the sun, and I life in a northern state where BCC doesn't occur much. I can't say how shocked I was with my diagnosis. When I told my kids, the first words out of my pre-teens mouth were "Does that mean I can't wear a bikini anymore?" The answer now is "yes".

jeepmo · February 2005

michelle4193 said:
Hey I'm so glad to find somebody my age who has the same thing. i'm 38 and have had 37 places removed I too have had the Mohs treatment more recently i've been given "aldara" which comes with a horrible cycle of blistering,scabing then finally the peeling away of the cancer skin, to me it's a godsend if i can get through the 5 weeks of uncomfortableness like a cigerette burn but there is no scaring and no visable signs of the cancer. i have had 32 surgerys to remove the tumors under neath my skin. I've always thought its not going to kill me but it could lead to more cancer somewhere esle. How are you doing now ? any more more spots?do you feel like theres no light at the end of this tunnel that i can't seems to get a hold on Please respond back I'd love to talk more

Hi Michelle! Sorry I didn't get these replies, I had kept checking back and saw nothing then suddenly WHAMO! A cool bunch of replies! HA! I'd love to chat more too. So far I'm doing good, but there's another spot by my other ear they are considering now (which I told them about ages ago but of course it wasn't anything THEN, now it is, UGH!!) As I understand it more and more younger people are getting it, the standard was for people over 60 or 70 now we're getting it in our 50s and 30s more. And more women apparently. They mentioned the Aldera to me but then said it'd be better for the Mohs but I too worry about how much more skin they can sew back once they start cutting down further and further. And while I'm pretty laid back I also get nervous about possible other cancers...wow, I can't beleive you had 37 places removed, that must be maddening. I'm also curious as to why the doctors claim that each of the basal cells by my one ear are "seperate" occurrences... I mean, I would think it would be recurring...but guess that might throw off their stats on the effectiveness of the Mohs surgery..I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel but that the light from it might cause more skin cancer. (bad shot at humor there) I mean, I start thinking, which I know is not right, well, why DON"T I just leave it to grow bigger and then get it out in a few years times, rather then getting a nip here, a snip there, a slice here, and it comes down to the same effect, a big map of scars over the body.

jeepmo · February 2005

LindaGM said:
Hi, I am a 56 year old female. Sorry jeepmo,I really wish I could give you answers, but all I can give you is what I have experienced. I have had skin cancer on my nose off & on for approx 10yrs now - it just keeps reoccuring. I have had freezing, mohs surgery (4.5hrs awake), 6wks radiation therapy, & my last treatment was Kemo Cream therapy and it still has come back. When I saw my doctor (a plastic surgeon) with the cancer clinic, he told me I would have to have a total nose reconstruction done as there was no skin left to sew together if I had another operation. When I had the Mohs (sp?) operation, they had to take some skin from behind my ear to close up the wound. I certainly wish you luck and hope it never comes back again.

Holy cow! 4.5 hours!! Thankfully mine was only about 2 hours and that's including the doc going out, checking the stuff, coming back, so was only down to like, 4 sections I think. I can only imagine the pain of it being done to your nose, more so the recovery. I had the freezing for the one on my arm ages ago when I was 19 and then this ear one cropped up two years ago and just keeps popping up. Luckily though it's still pretty unnoticeable. How was the radiation therapy or the Kemo Cream? I wish you luck too and hope it never comes back for you either! Sorry for the delay in replying!

LoriLynne · August 2005

michelle4193 said:
Hey I'm so glad to find somebody my age who has the same thing. i'm 38 and have had 37 places removed I too have had the Mohs treatment more recently i've been given "aldara" which comes with a horrible cycle of blistering,scabing then finally the peeling away of the cancer skin, to me it's a godsend if i can get through the 5 weeks of uncomfortableness like a cigerette burn but there is no scaring and no visable signs of the cancer. i have had 32 surgerys to remove the tumors under neath my skin. I've always thought its not going to kill me but it could lead to more cancer somewhere esle. How are you doing now ? any more more spots?do you feel like theres no light at the end of this tunnel that i can't seems to get a hold on Please respond back I'd love to talk more

Just diagnosed and have had 8 places removed and all were positive and I will be starting on the Aldara cream in about 2 more weeks (when school starts). I wanted to be able to spend some time with my 3 year old outside before he starts preschool. I am sorry to hear about all of your places removed. I have a feeling I will be right behing you! I have blonde hair/blue eyes/fair(WHITE!) and always thought I could get a tan. Have done the tanning beds (about 8 years ago) and I have finally realized the damage I have done all these years. I am soooooooo mad at myself. The price to pay for vanity -- I wish it was "in" to be fair-skinned. It's amazing to me how many people still tan and just fry their skin. Anyway, I dread the Aldera cream. I am so glad to know you are "out there" Good luck to you and write if you'd like. I would love to stay in touch with someone that is going through the same thing. Lori

Omi Imo · August 2020

Scared...Just diagnosed...on my nose

Hi. Not sure what to think. If you are looking at me, it's a spot that is about the size of the tip of a pen cap. The dermatologist I saw made me think it was no big deal, but then the Kaiser scheduling people have talked about reconstruction, and I was shocked. Don't know what I'm in for.

I like Kaiser for many reasons, especially its affordability, but to get random calls from non-medical personnel who just casually throw out words like reconstruction after a doctor has told you its a simple procedure and the easiest to treat...I just don't know what to think.

I am thrown...with this...with COVID...with all the craziness at work and the uncertainty of whether my homeless nonprofit will survive...as well as a trying to help my daughter recover from a major assault she experienced that has majorly impacted her life (and ours).

Bleh.

I hope to post some good news sometime soon.

Thanks from your blonde haired, very fair skinned friend,

Omi

Pilgrimmum · September 2020

Hi all, I've had a few basal

Hi all, I've had a few basal skin cancers and have had some removed surgically. I'm using milkweed at the moment successfully to treat them. It grows in the garden. Cheers Rebecca ( I'm in Australia)

Margalo · December 2020

Omi Imo said:
Scared...Just diagnosed...on my nose
Hi. Not sure what to think. If you are looking at me, it's a spot that is about the size of the tip of a pen cap. The dermatologist I saw made me think it was no big deal, but then the Kaiser scheduling people have talked about reconstruction, and I was shocked. Don't know what I'm in for.

I like Kaiser for many reasons, especially its affordability, but to get random calls from non-medical personnel who just casually throw out words like reconstruction after a doctor has told you its a simple procedure and the easiest to treat...I just don't know what to think.

I am thrown...with this...with COVID...with all the craziness at work and the uncertainty of whether my homeless nonprofit will survive...as well as a trying to help my daughter recover from a major assault she experienced that has majorly impacted her life (and ours).

Bleh.

I hope to post some good news sometime soon.

Thanks from your blonde haired, very fair skinned friend,

Omi

Just diagnosed on check, near eye

Hi there,

I seem to be in the same boat you were back in August. Now that you have probably gone through the MOHS and reconstruction, what advice can you give me? I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago, my doctor things he got all of the cancer with the biopsy, but I still need Mohs and then reconstruction. So scared, to say the least! Any information you could give me about your experience would be awesome.

thank you,

Basal Cell Carcinoma

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