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Sun & Cancer

Started by Papa1stuff, January 07, 2011, 01:53:35 PM

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Papa1stuff

Work in the sun all your life and sooner or later this will happen !! :(

1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

doctorb

Is that the scar after the removal of a basal cell carcinoma?  I had one on my back from repeat sunburns as a kid on the swim team.  Looks pretty inflamed to me.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Papa1stuff

Yes ,it still has the staples in and I just removed the pressure bandage they had on it.
I thought it looked a little inflamed and if it still looks that way in The AM when I change the bandage I will go see the Doc.
1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

doctorb

How long ago was the surGery?  The location appears to be the front of tHe elbow. Is that right?  If so then flexion and extension of the elbow puts tension on a transverse wound like that, and can inflame the wound.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Papa1stuff

The surgery was on Wed 1/5/11.
Yes it is in front of the elbow and just above the bend.
With their tight bandage it pulled ,but now it dosn't pull as much the bandage not as tight!
1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

doctorb

We try not to make incisions perpendicular to the axis of skin tension in the extremity, because of wound edge tension.  Don't forcibly straighten your elbow all the way for a few days, as it will make the wound tension worse.  How big was the lesion he removed?  A sling would be a good idea to help prevent elbow straightening for a few days.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Papa1stuff

The lesion was only about the size of the end of your small finger,looked to me like he cut a very big area,but he's the Doc.
I just changed the bandage and it didn't look as red as before and if itching is a sign of healing ,it is!
1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

doctorb

When a surgeon removes a skin cancer, he has to consider "margins".  He wants to have completely clean margins in the skin he leaves behind.  Certain cancers, like malignant melanoma, demand very wide margins to be cured. Others, like basal cell carcinoma, require finer margins becasue that cancer doesn't spread via the bloodstream or the lymphatic system.  It can recur locally, and require repeat excision, but it is not devastating to your life.  As you just had this lesion removed, we have to wait until the pathologist identifies what exactly it was.  Looking at the purple skin markings in the photo, it looks like your doc wasn't taking any chances on having cancer still in the margins of this resection.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Papa1stuff

They had me wait after surgey for them to check to see if they got it all. And I guess they as they said I was OK to go ,back in 10 days or so to remove staples.
1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

doctorb

Let's wait and see what the pathologist says.  From your described size of the lesion, and the size of skin removed, it looks like they might have ben a little worried about your diagnosis and taken a bit of extra skin to increase the likelihood of clean margins.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Roxie

You have my complete sympathy!

A few questions.  Did they do a biopsy and tell you the type of cancer before the surgery, and, since they had you wait afterward, was it a Mohs surgeon? 

Say when

D Hagens


Yikes! This makes me think twice about all the time I spend in tanning booths. :o

doctorb

D H-

You may be the best looking 47 year old on the planet, but there is no reason to be in a tanning booth to try to be better looking than you already are.  Waste of time and money on your self-image.  While the latter is important, it's not the best thing for your skin health.  Pamper yourself in a healthier and cheaper way!

Roxie's question is a good one.  Sometimes (like mine) the appearance of the skin lesion was all they needed to know.  It was a classic basal cell carcinoma.  My wife used to call it "Bobby's red spot".  Don't be scared by the word "carcinoma" in this individual instance.  Everywhere else it's a bad actor.  Basal cells behave rather differently.  They locally invade superficial tissue slowly, rarely go deep, and can be curerd with wide excision.  I am hoping that it's not a malignant melanoma, which appears, usually as a very dark irregular and often raised mole that changes size (gets bigger).
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

DouginUtah


I know a thing or two about sun and cancer:

Warning: Graphic!

http://www.xmission.com/~sherwin/m/m.html

The eighth picture down shows my scalp job.
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

doctorb

Doug

Aparently your doing well after that ordeal back in '03 and '04? 
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

D Hagens

Quote from: doctorb on January 08, 2011, 07:25:47 PM
D H-

You may be the best looking 47 year old on the planet, but there is no reason to be in a tanning booth to try to be better looking than you already are.  Waste of time and money on your self-image.  While the latter is important, it's not the best thing for your skin health.  Pamper yourself in a healthier and cheaper way!

But hey I attract some good looking woman. :D :D :D

No really, the reason I go is because I have psoriasis and it's the only thing that works.
Do you have any other suggestions that would help. ???

DouginUtah

Quote from: doctorb on January 08, 2011, 09:17:09 PM
Doug

Aparently your doing well after that ordeal back in '03 and '04? 

After seven years I guess I can say I am a cancer survivor. Just some minor scabbing (lesions?)that won't go away.

Some people might suggest that the radiation did irreversible damage.  :D :D :D
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

doctorb

D H
Makes sense.  I know they use UV light for psoriasis a lot. I heard about a new medication for it, but I have no idea what it's name is or, more importantly, it's effectiveness. Let me do some snooping

Doug
The brain seems to be able to tolerate radiation better than skin.  With all your skin grafts, it's not uncommon to have chronic scabbing etc. In a radiated area.  Count your blessings. Who knows maybe the radiation made you smarter!!!
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Papa1stuff

Roxie
Yes they did a biopsy and it was Basal cell.
And yes  he is a Mohs surgeon.

They have already told me that they did get it all and now just a matter of healing and getting the staples out.

I expect to have more Cells spring up as I have had several before.
Most of them they just freez !
1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

doctorb

Papa-

I have to tell you my bias here---I am not much of a Mohs fan.  It is, however, very widely accepted.  Mohs surgery is generally done by dermatologists, who are not well trained as surgeons, IMHO.  Patients just think that it's a "smaller" deal than having to have a "surgeon" whack it out.  It's not, by my experience.  What was the specialty of your treating doc?
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Roxie

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that!  It might sound strange, but basal cell is the least threatening type of all.  The Mohs surgery gets all the cancer about 98% of the time.  It can be deep but effective.  

All you have to do now is heal, and wear sun BLOCK every day.  My dermatologist told me that if you are inside your home, and can read a book without turning on a light, you are getting rays.  

My dermatologist sent me to a Mohs surgeon.  Skin cancer was this surgeon's only work, he wasn't a dermatologist.  The Mohs surgeon, contacted a facial surgeon before he removed my basal cell carcinoma from my nose.  I had the Mohs surgery and the next morning checked into the hospital for the reconstruction with a facial surgeon.  To give you an idea of what my face looked like, I think your arm looks pretty darn good.   :D



Say when

stump farmer

Hope you're healing up. Thanks for posting the pics, you've motivated me to get my yearly checkup. I'm guessing that the sun exposure was mostly from driving. Looking at my own arms, the left one looks much more 'weathered' than the right.

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