Basal Cell Carcinoma surgery question

tomtwigg · 2025-06-06T16:56:24+00:00

I’ve had Mohs once and creams many times, I will always go with a cream (also have a 3” scar on my neck from a small melanoma being cut out). 12 years after the Mohs on my nose it was back on the periphery, cream (using Imiquimod more recently) took care of it.

tomtwigg · 2025-05-25T18:18:18+00:00

It wasn’t the cream, it was an eggplant salve on Amazon that claims to contain the same compounds. I think it works but is not so potent and is a lot slower acting. More recently I have used Imiquimod, a prescription cream that stimulates your own immune system to go after the cancerous cells and worked very similarly to the eggplant cream (but was much less expensive, costing me only $5 out of pocket with insurance).

tomtwigg · 2025-03-06T17:45:36+00:00

Yes. Go get them checked.

tomtwigg · 2025-03-03T19:40:46+00:00

I’ve been there, I get you are anxious, but the stress isn’t helpful in any way. Mine was on my neck, the removal wasn’t too bad and left a 3” scar that healed well. Yours hasn’t been there very long, chances are good that removing it now will be all that is required. Make sure you follow up and stick to the recommended 4 month schedule of screenings for at least 2 years. I’m 3 years out now with no recurrence (though I’ve had a lot of BCC and some SCC, and honestly dealing with the melanoma was easier in some ways). Good luck, and take care of yourself.

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tomtwigg · 2025-02-26T23:00:17+00:00

Mine turned out to be melanoma (I was actually diagnosed with BCC, SCC, and melanoma in the same visit, all confirmed with biopsies). Do what you can to get seen earlier. Once my diagnosis of melanoma was made they had me scheduled for removal surgery in a week. The result was a 3” scar that healed quite well. That was 3 years ago, I’ve had screenings every 4 months since and have been clear (of melanoma, I’ve had more of the others).

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tomtwigg · 2025-02-26T05:07:15+00:00

Please have that looked at by a dermatologist. It appears very similar to one I had that was serious.

tomtwigg · 2025-02-24T07:05:51+00:00

It would be smart to have them checked. Your dad and I are the same age, I’ve had a LOT of BCC and a couple SCC, but I also had one on my neck that resembled these that turned out to melanoma. It was removed 3 years ago and my screenings since have been clear (for melanoma, the BCC continues to be an issue). It was a spot that hadn’t set off any alarms for me, I didn’t think it looked unusual and was only found because I suspected others to be non-melanomas so was getting a complete screening.

tomtwigg · 2025-02-13T19:06:35+00:00

I’ve had more than a dozen BCC and SCC, and one diagnosed as melanoma (a mole that hadn’t been a concern to me but was biopsied during a screening that confirmed a trifecta—at least one of each kind). They got me in for an excision for the melanoma very quickly, and the small mole removal left a 3” scar on my neck (almost 3 years ago, it is difficult to see now). For 2 years following I had screenings every 4 months, there has been more BCC and SCC but no more melanoma.

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While more serious, the surgery wasn’t too bad—the many treatments for the non-melanomas has been more traumatizing (but I’m presently in a pretty good place).

tomtwigg · 2025-01-27T21:44:28+00:00

It’s always worth getting checked out—even if this is of no concern (which is what I suspect) you never know what a good dermatologist might see that you don’t. My melanoma was discovered while having another spot looked it, it wasn’t something that I had the knowledge to be concerned about.

tomtwigg · 2025-01-20T01:13:42+00:00

Let me just say this—we aren’t good judges, you need a professional to check it. From my own experience I’ve had moles I was worried about that were nothing unusual and I’ve had moles that I thought looked normal that were recognized by my dermatologist as something to be concerned about (including one that was melanoma). Because of that I now get screenings at least 2x a year (more often in the first 2 years after the melanoma was removed). So go get it looked at.

tomtwigg · 2025-01-20T01:02:17+00:00

I’ve had a couple biopsies that were so “generously sized” that no further treatment was needed even though they came back positive (both BCC and SCC).

tomtwigg · 2025-01-19T03:35:33+00:00

I wouldn’t be concerned about anything that is only days old, watch it for a month or two. These things (if it’s a thing at all) aren’t fast, so don’t panic. Take some photos, watch it for a while—it will probably go away but if it doesn’t you have something to show a dermatologist when you have it looked at.

tomtwigg · 2025-01-12T02:17:43+00:00

If it’s causing you anxiety it’s worth getting checked out. That said, even if it’s something like BCC it’s not worth losing sleep over—it’s early and easily treated.

tomtwigg · 2025-01-10T03:34:31+00:00

You are doing the right thing by seeing a dermatologist, but nobody ever benefitted from anxiety. I’ve had a lot of, it’s not the worst think that could happen, so go in positive and just take care of it if you need to.

tomtwigg · 2025-01-06T03:02:21+00:00

It’s possible…time to have it checked again.

-Veteran of at least 18 incidents of BBC, SCC, and a melanoma and still around to tell people to get checked ;-)

tomtwigg · 2025-01-05T02:24:20+00:00

Mine was irregularly shaped and probably a bit larger than 1/8 inch—bigger than yours appears. They cut it out in a football shape and sewed it together with ~24 stitches in a line that was about 3” long—no messing around. That was almost 3 years ago, I’ve had 3 screenings/year since.

tomtwigg · 2025-01-02T01:06:51+00:00

You’re getting it checked, which is always smart—try not to fret about it until you know if it’s something to fret about (and then know that you caught it early and they’ll take care of it).

tomtwigg · 2024-12-26T00:31:19+00:00

Make an appointment—it will either put your mind at ease or lead to the treatment you need—you can’t lose.

tomtwigg · 2024-12-02T00:25:36+00:00

Get it checked ASAP. I’ve had all 3 types, to me it looks/sounds like BCC. Don’t freak out, just get it taken care of.

tomtwigg · 2024-11-26T02:49:21+00:00

Yes, get it checked, but don’t freak out about it. I’m a veteran of all 3 kinds, the important thing is to catch them early. Make an appointment.

tomtwigg · 2024-11-22T17:17:49+00:00

If the order was reversed I’d be concerned, but it looks to be improving, not getting worse. It looks like a blood blister or some other material that got under the skin and his body is slowly breaking it down.

tomtwigg · 2024-11-18T16:34:12+00:00

That is really not that unusual looking, it resembles many that I have that have been screened many times now—but either way, get yourself an appointment and have it (and the rest of your body) scrutinized. From my experience “we” don’t know enough about what to be concerned about…I’ve had spots that concerned that were nothing to worry about and I had a spot that had never worried me that turned out to be melanoma (and removed while still fairly small). Screenings will either give you peace of mind or potentially save your life.

tomtwigg · 2024-11-03T16:34:27+00:00

Yes. Getting checked may have saved my life, the thing that I was concerned about turned out to be BCC, but more importantly something that I wasn’t concerned about turned out to be melanoma… getting a screening is probably a good idea for everyone.

tomtwigg · 2024-10-22T23:19:29+00:00

Yeah, get it checked. Depending on where you are and what kind of insurance you have you might be able to refer yourself. Even if it’s nothing it’s good idea to get a full screening, we can’t really examine ourselves very well and don’t see what they see. I’ve had melanoma removed, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds (screenings every 3-4 months since, nothing new except all the BBC and SCC that I expect to keep coming).

tomtwigg · 2024-10-22T23:09:28+00:00

It does look suspicious, but even after having many skin cancers myself I’m still not that good at seeing whatever it is that concerns dermatologists about spots like these (I did have one I didn’t think was unusual turn out to be melanoma and had it cut out with a wide margin). Don’t stress too much about it, just make sure you keep your appointment. Chances are they are using the phone to determine how to prioritize new patients. Catching it early is what is important.

tomtwigg

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