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Skin Cancer

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 7:37 pm
by Trev
As no doubt many of our other older members would know, skin damage from over-exposure to the sun comes with the territory if you grew up in the 60's and 70's

I've had a couple of BCCs (basal cell carcinomas) removed over the years, along with numerous spots "iced" off.
Now I've developed a Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the ear.
It's contained and will be removed on Tuesday and covered with a small skin graft because the area it is in is all cartilage.

I've been having annual check overs for some years now and this is just a reminder to all of you out there to keep up the checks, or start having them if you don't already.

All of which is one reason I surf at first light and rarely during the day (although I do get tempted from time to time).

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:36 am
by swvic
Know a medical (cancer) researcher who is adamant that all skin cancers should be excised for pathology reasons. She says that freezing doesn't always get all the potentially nasty bits that may be malignant. Excision will be followed up if the pathology shows malignancy.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:56 am
by Trev
Freezing is usually only used for Keratoses. I've never been to a doc who didn't at least biopsy anything remotely suspicious. Then, excision to be sent to pathology to ensure it's contained.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 10:32 am
by swvic
Good to know you're on top of it all. When you mentioned 'spots "iced" off', it made me recall an experience of my own. I had a clear small scabby type thing on my arm which would dry out and fall off, leaving a slightly raised light pink bit of skin. The process repeated for a few years. Didn't think too much of it until I spoke to a guy who had a similar thing removed which proved to be a basal cell carcinoma. I went to the docs and he wanted to ice it off saying I shouldn't be concerned. As I was about to have a vasectomy, I requested he referred it to the surgeon. Surgeon was of a similar mind to the Doc, but I insisted. On my revisit, he informed me that indeed it had been a BCC. At least we both learned something from it.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 11:42 am
by Trev
swvic wrote:Good to know you're on top of it all. When you mentioned 'spots "iced" off', it made me recall an experience of my own. I had a clear small scabby type thing on my arm which would dry out and fall off, leaving a slightly raised light pink bit of skin. The process repeated for a few years. Didn't think too much of it until I spoke to a guy who had a similar thing removed which proved to be a basal cell carcinoma. I went to the docs and he wanted to ice it off saying I shouldn't be concerned. As I was about to have a vasectomy, I requested he referred it to the surgeon. Surgeon was of a similar mind to the Doc, but I insisted. On my revisit, he informed me that indeed it had been a BCC. At least we both learned something from it.
Yep. My daughter had one similar on the side of her nose. She thought it was a pimple and went off to Ireland for a year, When she came back we realised it was still there and convinced her to see a doc. "Twas a BCC which took a bit of getting rid of but they were successful eventually. At the time she was only about 27 so she was lucky.
When I look back on my youth and the amount of sunburn I got, it scares me.
These days I get a specialist check every year and in between my GP also checks - which is how we found th ething in my ear.
Paranoid? Maybe. But I'm 63 and it ain't gonna get any better.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 5:12 pm
by swvic
I'm pushing 50. Did the aussie sun kid thing. Outdoor tradie for 15 years with shirt off all summer. Surfing since 11 yo. Pretty sure I'll be having issues for all my remaining days, but can't convince many of the young blokes to do the slippery, sloppy, slappy thing.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:05 pm
by bumfluff
keehee

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:34 am
by swvic
Walked into that.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:33 am
by swvic
If the chance arises, I'll demonstrate that I also suffer that very same fault.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:28 pm
by yanks r us
reginald wrote:Whenever I get a check up I always ask and ask again about spots i might have noticed. Think about those case that come up all the time of people usually kids being sent home from emergency with some panadol only to die in their sleep later that night, or return to emergencey in an ambulance.

You gotta keep em on their toes. Its easy to take the first all clear and think great all good. Much harder to push for deeper investigation. There is that little fear that if you keep asking you might get the answer you don't want.
All the time? :roll:

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:07 pm
by yanks r us
reginald wrote:You got sent home from emergency didnt you yanks. I bet your parents still wished they'd pulled the plug.
haha it's great seeing the wonders of the internet. Allowing people to talk sh :twisted: t to someone without being face to face. Bravo mate :lol:

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:08 pm
by channels
Just had one cut out from my chest and another frozen off my back this arvo, both didn't look like much either. Don't put this stuff off, get yourself checked!

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:08 pm
by Spoon
Just going to bump this, got a check up in December and ended up having a small early stage melanoma cut out. Last week I got a bigger bit cut out (a wide incision) to make sure they got it all ending up with 26 stitches in my lower back. 14 deep and 12 to seal but because I get 6 monthly skin checks it was found early and the latest tests came back all clear so happy about that. Can post pics later, but if you are thinking you are due for a check up do it.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:57 pm
by Trev
Well worth the bump Spoon.
Hope it all goes well.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 9:54 pm
by Beanpole
Visited a mate at Xmas who had just had a whopping big melanoma cut off his forehead above his right eye.
Re: skin exposure. My wife's mum and auntie have had a few melanomas and basal cell carcinomas cut out. Her Aunties nose looks a bit how ya going after the operation. However they are pushing 90 and used to cover themselves in coconut oil and baste in the sun. Also the whole cohort drank like fish and my father in law and his mates played music in nightclubs and hung at the beach all their lives. Kicked the bucket at 90. My parents were nowhere near this in terms of lifestyle and packed it in by 67. Buggered if I know about healthy lifestyles.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 11:26 am
by Spoon
Trev wrote:Well worth the bump Spoon.
Hope it all goes well.
Thanks Trev, got the all clear but still a week or so out of the water. Brings mortality back into the thought process.

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 11:50 am
by marauding mullet
Waiting on result of a biopsy taken from my leg right now.
Lost count of the number of SCC and BCCs removed

Re: Skin Cancer

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:37 pm
by alakaboo
I need to get my skin checked again but looking for a new clinic. Local place is good at detection but the guy butchered me getting some out last year.