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Last month I went for my yearly skin check and she thought a spot on my face, upper lip area needed to be biopsied. It was a pinkish spot very innocent looking. I didn't think much about it. She called it is cancer (basal cell) I was shocked! Now I have to go through surgery, called MOHS where they like peel the skin off layer by layer and look at it under microscope to make sure all the cancer is gone. I'm scared! I'm having this done Thursday. Has anyone else had this procedure done?
Yes, I've had it done, and so have my dad and five of my six siblings. It is really not a big deal. It takes a while (I was in the office for most of an afternoon, and had to come back the next day to be stitched up), but is not painful and doesn't leave much of a scar. Don't worry too much. On a cancer scale of one to ten, a small basal cell carcinoma is zero.
Thanks for this thread, CA4Now it looks like it will help me out a lot. Also, thanks to saibot for your response. I'm feeling less anxious about it all. thanks
I have three spots on my neck that are being removed on the eighteenth of this month (May.)
I'm also going through prostate cancer treatment the dermatologist however said they weren't related.
Basal cell is a slow growing cancer that has virtually zero chance of metastasizing. I have a basal cell lesion that I simply keep an eye on & I'll remove it if it starts getting larger (ie. my type is small and pearly, not at all disfiguring, but obviously there is a wide range in types of basal cell lesions). Mohs is common. Don't worry about this at all! After the follow-ups I would see your dermatologist on an annual basis to monitor for other lesions, though. And wear sunscreen.
Last edited by west seattle gal; 06-03-2016 at 11:55 PM..
Basal cell is a slow growing cancer that has virtually zero chance of metastasizing. I have a basal cell lesion that I simply keep an eye on & I'll remove it if it starts getting larger (ie. my type is small and pearly, not at all disfiguring, but obviously there is a wide range in types of basal cell lesions). Mohs is common. Don't worry about this at all! After the follow-ups I would see your dermatologist on an annual basis to monitor for other lesions, though. And wear sunscreen.
I was a little surprised the OP was having such a treatment because, as you say, basal cell is not thought to be a big deal, but who are we to judge her doctor I guess. I notice she never came back to let us know how things went. I do hope she is OK> I too have had several basal cell skin cancers, at best the doctor just takes them off in the office. In fact I bet many of us have parents that had skin cancers, they just never went to a doctor to get anything checked.
I had a patient who ignored his basal cell carcinoma on his face due to dementia. Turned into a rotten, stinking mess. He wandered around the country, no family, no one to give consent to surgery. He got put into a secure facility, don't know what happened.
I was a little surprised the OP was having such a treatment because, as you say, basal cell is not thought to be a big deal, but who are we to judge her doctor I guess. I notice she never came back to let us know how things went. I do hope she is OK> I too have had several basal cell skin cancers, at best the doctor just takes them off in the office. In fact I bet many of us have parents that had skin cancers, they just never went to a doctor to get anything checked.
I agree. I had a cyst on my scalp removed, the derm said it was basal cell (but I think otherwise). They cut it out pretty deep, but still wanted me to come back for the MOHS. I decided against it. The cons far outweighed the pros of this procedure for me. I just keep an eye on it and if I see a problem starting I will go back. I really don't believe I will have a problem though.
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