Thread: Skin Cancers

riverbuilder

It is to my mind quite irrelevant whether the biopsies return positive or negative. If you have any skin blemishes that you are unsure of, particularly if they are changing. Most skin cancers caught early have no further repercussions. A mild cancer left untreated can be a disaster.

Go to a specialist skin cancer doctor. And don't delay. I get a routine check up once a year.

It will be OK.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by riverbuilder

Is there a particular specialist I should be seeing?

One who knows what he is doing.

Unfortunately there is no reliable method to discover that. My guy is a plastic surgeon who specializes in skin cancers.

Mine photographed my whole body and every year he compares me to the photos. If a spot looks suspicious he cuts it out and sends it away for testing. In most cases the test is negative and it is reasuring that it didn't need to be done.

There is no point in just taking a small sample to be tested as you still need to be stitched up and if it is positive you have to come back and have it removed. The removal cut is not that much bigger than the sample cut.

The liquid nitrogen treatment is only used on small spots that he thinks are probably OK and are removed "just in case".

I get another 3 cut out next Monday, that now makes a total of 20+ over 20yrs. Always had a biopsy 90% come back positive, only ever had one burnt (not liquid N2) but cauterized, never again, takes for ever to heal mutter mutter grrrr
Back, legs, chest arms, nose, doesn't miss much does it! I have an excellent GP who is a wiz at them.
As soon as I'm concerned about a spot I go immediately to get it checked, no hesitation
Teenage adolescent yrs spent in the sun and the building industry, lot wiser now,

Don't stuff about, go and get it checked on Monday. I have had a few cut out, none were a waste of time!

You will regret not getting it checked out, but will never regret catching a big problem early.

Go and get it checked (and out).

Alan...

This is one occasion when SWMBO should, or rather MUST, be obeyed ASAP.

Your GP should be able to refer you to the appropriate specialist.

I had a spot on my back - went to GP, got a referral to a skin specialist, he removed it and it healed. Analysis showed it was a BCC, no big deal. Since then he's removed several other small surface lesions, a couple of which were also BCCs, but nothing untoward. 12 monthly re-visits, although I have had a couple of times where I've had to go back sooner to make sure the removal and healing was complete.

My wife had a spot removed at a skin clinic, and analysis came back that it was unusual and was referred to an RPA (SMDC) based specialist . They increased the margin of extraction around the area and went on 6 monthly inspections which lasted 5ish years before going back to 12 monthly visits, and has had no other removals in that time.

So yes, time to listen. Grab a referral and book an appointment. You're likely to have a while until the appointment unless your GP suggests its more urgent. I have to book 6 months out (!)

Brother of my brother-in-law, who lived in the Upper Hunter, had a spot on his toe that wouldn't heal. Had been to the doctor about it several times. Was in Newcastle and dropped in to the John Hunter Hospital to have them look at it, no appointment. They sent him straight across to the cancer clinic. He was dead within 6 months! Although he'd worked outside for most of his life he always wore work boots.

As others have said, don't delay, any outcome from a visit to the doctor is a minor inconvenience compared to the pain of a slow death. Yes, I am trying to scare you in to action.

Some GP'shave specialist training to inspect for skin cancers. They do it for a normal long consult fee. You should definitely do that as a minimum.

I've had a check over by a skin specialist. They are probably better at it but they cost $. Depends on your circumstances and your GP can probably give good advice.

I've had what might be a BCC on the bridge of my nose for 10 years. Arose after a tick got me there. I'm booked for a plastic surgeon in april because of where it is.No one else wants to touch it.

Of course I've got several other cancers so it's not my top priority, but they can turn nasty especially if you get a melanoma. As others have said you should at least get a GP to have a look.

Head to your GP. They'll be able to point you in the right direction. Getting it removed for a biopsy shouldn't be to intrusive.

Originally Posted by damian

Some GP's have specialist training to inspect for skin cancers. They do it for a normal long consult fee.

My GP is one of those and he's removed two suspicious spots during the last year, pathology checked them and one was cancer and the other was not.

All for the normal consulting fee, which in my case is bulk billed.

Peter.

Like people have said, don’t waist time to get it checked out. My dad did, didn’t turn out well. Go now!
I’ve been seeing these guys for about 8 years. Very friendly and professional. Parramatta Skin Cancer Clinic | SunDoctors
I go to the one in parramatta but they have clinics all over.
GO!

I have been battling melanoma for 16 years now and thus am in a good position to answer your question.

There is no other way to determine if a suspicious mole is cancerous then through excision and biopsy. There should be a good measure of skin removed around the mole to provide information on spread etc. Deeper secondary tumours are investigated with needle biopsies, but not surface-level primary tumours.

The main point is what constitutes ‘suspicious’. A particularly experienced clinician will examine the spot and may make a call about whether it is suspicious or not, and hence whether it should proceed to biopsy. The call should be conservative. In other cases he will examine a spot closely and say ‘I think it’s OK but let’s just keep an eye on it’. Obviously the experience level of the clinician is very important here.

I believe (and be aware I am not a medical person) that a suspicious spot should NEVER be burnt off. If it were a melanoma, burning it off will not stop the cancer from spreading as there will be subcutaneous elements. However you will have lost the warning sign, and probably even forget there was ever a problem. Further, burning will make it difficult to get the knowledge necessary to treat any problem that does arise.

You asked how many people have had spots removed for biopsy and how many have come back positive. I don’t really understand why you would want to know this as it shouldn’t be relevant to your decision but you asked so here is my answer
About 14 suspicious spots removed
1 came back as malignant melanoma.
1 as squamous cell cancer.
About 6 as aplastic naevii (meaning turning into something probably harmful)
About 6 as totally benign.

So really, only one was serious. The 6 aplastic naevae we’re slowly turning into something malignant but not a threat in the early stage so a good demonstration that things are usually ok if you get them early. The squamous cell cancer is basically harmless but like all cancers should be removed.

You have to have a lot of trust in someone under these circumstances and it’s not GP level medicine. I can give you the name of the specialist I see in NW Sydney - who is excellent. In my mind there is only one thing you should be doing - book in to see your GP and ask for a referral to a good specialist (preferably the one I recommend). If you end up loosing a chunk of flesh out of your neck then that is no big thing - heals in about two weeks.

Pm me if you want the recommendation

Arron

Aaron has pretty much hit the nail on the head.
I go to a specialist once every three or so years. She also looks after my wife’s skin.
After 20 or so years, I’ve had nothing removed or assessed- the specialist says my skin-type, although fair, tends to be fairly resilient to developing melanoma and when it does, the cancers tend to develop slowly. So I get that from my Dad, and not my Mum, who still has two or three taken off every year.

GO TO THE DOCTOR NOW!

My story not pretty. I’ve had the lot.

Visit Melanoma.org.au, and do some reading. If that doesn’t scare you into action nothing will.