Basal-cell carcinoma, BTDT?

[sammyg2]

Let's talk basal-cell carcinoma for a minute. Specifically infiltrative.
Doc says I'm gonna get a hole in my shoulder the size of a golf ball in the morning.

Common skin cancer, lots of folks get it, unually non-metastasizing, no big deal.
Just get a chunk cut out and go about your biddness, right?


Gotta be plenty of BTDT on this forum.

[masraum]

I had an 80 year old member of my family get a hole the size of a nickel on their forehead earlier this summer. No big deal.

[Noah930]

Basal cell CA is a skin cancer, but it is usually not terrible like melanoma can be. However, if it is infiltrative type, then it can be more aggressive. You need to see a surgeon to make sure it is entirely excised. The pathology report (with importance to having clean margins--meaning no cancer at the edge of the specimen) is important.

[Bill Douglas]

I've had a number cut out. Not really the size of a golf ball, but rather resembles a diced piece of steak you would throw to the dog.

A year later you don't even know where the bits have been cut out, they heal up so well.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Basal cell CA is a skin cancer, but it is usually not terrible like melanoma can be. However, if it is infiltrative type, then it can be more aggressive. You need to see a surgeon to make sure it is entirely excised. The pathology report (with importance to having clean margins--meaning no cancer at the edge of the specimen) is important.

+1^^^ Noah, you're obviously in the business.

It's also fairly easy for a dermatopathologist to definitively diagnose basal cell and requires no immunohistochemistry or special staining. Anything super metastatic (e.g. melanoma) would have been ruled out quickly from the first slide. BC isn't quick to the lymph nodes like some others. I'm sure you have quality physicians and they'll get it all. Don't stress too much.

[Moses]

Dermatologists are for people who don't own a Dremel.

[surflvr911sc]

Wife and I have both had malignant melanoma; her on her leg and me on my forearm. Luckily for both of us it was early and 100% treated by excisions, big excisions. I have pictures of mine if you want to see it.

Non stop biopsies and excisions of potential cells since, but that's better than being dead.

[Crowbob]

What does BC look like?

Never mind. Looked it up...

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Basal cell CA is a skin cancer, but it is usually not terrible like melanoma can be. However, if it is infiltrative type, then it can be more aggressive. You need to see a surgeon to make sure it is entirely excised. The pathology report (with importance to having clean margins--meaning no cancer at the edge of the specimen) is important.

Going to a mohs surgeon whatever that means. 'Sposed to specialize in this stuff.
Prolly just more $$$$

And Moses, I gots a dremel but I'm not ambidextrous. If it was on the other shoulder I could get it myself .......

[Nathans_Dad]

The Mohs procedure is basically being able to look at the margins of the tissue real time to see exactly when you have completely excised the tumor. Allows complete removal with less tissue loss.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by surflvr911sc

Wife and I have both had malignant melanoma; her on her leg and me on my forearm. Luckily for both of us it was early and 100% treated by excisions, big excisions. I have pictures of mine if you want to see it.

Non stop biopsies and excisions of potential cells since, but that's better than being dead.

The doc said melanoma was the really bad stuff but he ruled that out right away fer me.
No pics necessary, at least not of yours

[Les Paul]

As a former sun god with blue eyes I've had it all. Including stage 4 Melanoma and here I am knock knock. Only problem with MOHs is the stretch to close that divot without plastic surgery. I had one of 3 on my temple that had me slant eyed for awhile. And for gods sake don't ignore anything. Skin cancer doesn't just go away.

[Tobra]

Buy a digital camera and a ruler. Take good photos of suspicious lesions annually, on your birthday maybe. Cancer is not to be taken lightly, because cancer.

If you are going to pick one not to get, melanoma, a nasty beeyatch. Mohs is pretty cool actually. Beats doing what seems reasonable at the time, and finding out you needed to take wider margins when the path report comes back

Use sunscreen, buy a hat, blah, blah. Good luck on your biopsy, ice will help with the soreness

[fintstone]

Wife had a small one on her face. Skilled surgeon can make it look like it was never there. A less skilled one...not so much. Her's healed nicely. Everyone I know with Basal Cell carcinoma that had it identified early and removed had no probelem later with that one...but some had other ones later. Like rust they will cut out a bigger chunk on the radius to ensure they get it all. Basically, with Mohs procedure, they cut a layer at a time...look at it under a microscope to see if there are cancer cells and stop when the get to where there are none.

Best of luck with your surgery.

[bmcuscgr94]

Originally Posted by Nathans_Dad

The Mohs procedure is basically being able to look at the margins of the tissue real time to see exactly when you have completely excised the tumor. Allows complete removal with less tissue loss.

I've had the Mohs procedure done with 3 spots of squamous cell carcinoma over the last 5 years. The worst part was sitting in the waiting room waiting for the results back to see if the Doctor needed to cut some more. Except for the little "bite" shaped piece of my ear missing, all the other spots healed with no noticeable scars. Too many hours working in the sun without protection in my younger days

I wear more long sleeved shirts and wide brimmed hats not, than I used too.

[HardDrive]

Dad just had a jaw breaker size bit of his shoulder out. Took a while to heal, but all good.

[Heel n Toe]

Sammy, I had a small one taken off the back of my ear several years ago. Doc took enough that he was pretty sure he wouldn't have to go back to get more later, then sent it off to get biopsied. He got all he needed, and I haven't looked back... behind my ear.

Yukyukyuk.

Okay, I have a question for you: have you gotten that initial colonoscopy yet?

Because if you haven't, you know we're gonna bust yer balls about removing this thang, right?

[speeder]

Don't have much to add other than hoping that everything works out OK. My younger sister is a derm pathologist and looks at that stuff all day long. You can bet that her fair skinned kids have been covered with sunscreen all their lives when at the beach, etc.

Skin cancer is almost a foregone conclusion if you've been out in this SoCal sun all your life. I'm kind of surprised I haven't had my first one yet, I used to roast my pink Irish skin mercilessly. Not anymore. Hats and sunscreen plus try to stay in the shade.

Good luck and let us know how it went.

[GH85Carrera]

I grew up in Hawaii in the 50s before anyone had even heard of sunscreen. We had zinc oxide for our nose and that was it. I only wore a shirt or shoes on rare occasions. I was so dark my grandparents did not recognize me at first when they came to visit.

Now I wear sunscreen anytime I am outside much at all. I go to the dermatologist every 12 months and he usually zaps a small spot or two. So far no skin cancer at all. My dad had 2 different episodes of skin cancer and radiation treatment. With luck I will skip that.

Good Luck Sammy.

[E38Driver]

Sammy,

Good luck with the procedure and hope all goes well.

Dave