Awesome- Basal cell carcinoma

[ParadigmDawg]

I do believe years of playing in the sun caught up with me a little.

I have had a funny spot on my left trapezius for about a year now. It is right where the pad of a hack-squat machine hits my shoulder and also where my camelbac strap sets. I always just thought it was a friction type injury that stays irritated from riding and lifting.

As part of a health screen; I decided to have a few moles checked today which were all fine. The doctor got to this place on my shoulder and right off the bat, she said she was getting a biopsy of it right now. I told her it was just a friction injury that stays irritated and she said "nope, I am 90% certain it is skin cancer.

I am not overly concerned as this usually is pretty mild form of cancer and is very treatable. My wife seems more concerned and somewhat worried.

We should have the results in two weeks. I guess I will start using sunscreen more.

 

[its phillip]

Hopefully it's not cancer, but if it is, hopefully it gets taken care of quickly...and yes, use sunscreen!

 

[GO-NAD!]

I do believe years of playing in the sun caught up with me a little.

I have had a funny spot on my left trapezoid for about a year now. It is right where the pad of a hack-squat machine hits my shoulder and also where my camelbac strap sets. I always just thought it was a friction type injury that stays irritated from riding and lifting.

As part of a health screen; I decided to have a few moles checked today which were all fine. The doctor got to this place on my shoulder and right off the bat, she said she was getting a biopsy of it right now. I told her it was just a friction injury that stays irritated and she said "nope, I am 90% certain it is skin cancer.

I am not overly concerned as this usually is pretty mild form of cancer and is very treatable. My wife seems more concerned and somewhat worried.

We should have the results in two weeks. I guess I will start using sunscreen more.

You can't be too careful about the sun these days - especially where you live. Tanning is gradually becoming the "new smoking". It's ironic that for many of us "white folk", having a tan looks healthier than being pasty white and pale - while the reality is just the opposite. Take care of yourself, PD.

 

[Steve81]

Good luck Dawg! Sorry to hear your situation

 

[Swerd]

Sorry to hear that. It can be shocking news. If the pathology report confirms basal cell carcinoma (BCC) then it is probably very treatable. Your doctor seemed pretty confident it was BCC. Is this is the first time you've had one?

The good news is that BCC is common enough that doctors know how to treat it.

Wikipedia has a lengthy page on BCC. Don't be scared by reading it, it covers all forms from early to advanced metastatic stages. I offer that link because knowledge is power, but be warned that some of the photos may not go nicely with lunch.

Another piece of good news is that last winter a new drug, Vismodegib (trade name Erivedge made by Genentech, Inc.) was approved by the FDA for cases of advanced metastatic BCC. It's the first drug that targets a biological signaling mechanism known to be involved in BCC. The clinical trials of this drug in BCC were very successful. If the pathology report confirms this is BCC and if this is your first one, you are very far, if ever, from needing this drug. I'm just letting you know there is some recent progress.

Sekulic, A., M.R. Migden, A.E. Oro, et al. (2012). Efficacy and safety of vismodegib in advanced basal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med. vol 366: pp 2171-79.

 

[adk highlander]

Good luck Greg. Caught early you will be fine.

My wife went through this a couple of years ago. If you do have to have it removed get a good surgeon. They really botched my wifes up and she has a huge scar and way more tissue removed than was necessary. Her's was on her calf and she has been really upset as to how much it shows.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You can't be too careful about the sun these days - especially where you live. Tanning is gradually becoming the "new smoking". It's ironic that for many of us "white folk", having a tan looks healthier than being pasty white and pale - while the reality is just the opposite. Take care of yourself, PD.

I know right...tan looks so good but I guess Twilight has kind of brought the white look back...

 

[Rickster71]

Good luck Greg, hope all turns out for the best.

I had a similar experience about two years ago.
Every once in a while I noticed blood on my shirt sleeve.
I didn't think anything of it, since I often get cuts on my hands at work and thought maybe I touched my sleeve or something.
Months later my wife had us scheduled for the dermatologist. As he did a body scan I noticed the look on his face changed to alarm when he looked at the back of my arm.

He found a melanoma on the back of my arm.
I ended up having surgery and had a walnut chunk cut out.
The Dr explained that it's usually one or two bad sunburns on skin that isn't normally exposed, that cause the most problems.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Sorry to hear that. It can be shocking news. If the pathology report confirms basal cell carcinoma (BCC) then it is probably very treatable. Your doctor seemed pretty confident it was BCC. Is this is the first time you've had one?

The good news is that BCC is common enough that doctors know how to treat it.

Wikipedia has a lengthy page on BCC. Don't be scared by reading it, it covers all forms from early to advanced metastatic stages. I offer that link because knowledge is power, but be warned that some of the photos may not go nicely with lunch.

Another piece of good news is that last winter a new drug, Vismodegib (trade name Erivedge made by Genentech, Inc.) was approved by the FDA for cases of advanced metastatic BCC. It's the first drug that targets a biological signaling mechanism known to be involved in BCC. The clinical trials of this drug in BCC were very successful. If the pathology report confirms this is BCC and if this is your first one, you are very far, if ever, from needing this drug. I'm just letting you know there is some recent progress.

Sekulic, A., M.R. Migden, A.E. Oro, et al. (2012). Efficacy and safety of vismodegib in advanced basal-cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med. vol 366: pp 2171-79.

Yep, I am pretty well educated on skin disease since one of my major accounts is a wound care clinic.

Pictures don't bother me at all. I worked in an ICU for 20 years as a critical care respiratory therapist. I can eat a sandwhich during an open chest code as I squeeze the heart.

It is the first BCC that I have ever had. I am just not overly concerned with it at this point. Once she numbed it up, I asked if I could scrape it for biopsy but she said no.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Good luck Greg. Caught early you will be fine.

My wife went through this a couple of years ago. If you do have to have it removed get a good surgeon. They really botched my wifes up and she has a huge scar and way more tissue removed than was necessary. Her's was on her calf and she has been really upset as to how much it shows.

Sorry to hear about your wife. I am not sure that one more scar on my beat up body would even be noticed.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Good luck Greg, hope all turns out for the best.

I had a similar experience about two years ago.
Every once in a while I noticed blood on my shirt sleeve.
I didn't think anything of it, since I often get cuts on my hands at work and thought maybe I touched my sleeve or something.
Months later my wife had us scheduled for the dermatologist. As he did a body scan I noticed the look on his face changed to alarm when he looked at the back of my arm.

He found a melanoma on the back of my arm.
I ended up having surgery and had a walnut chunk cut out.
The Dr explained that it's usually one or two bad sunburns on skin that isn't normally exposed, that cause the most problems.

Ouch!

Man, I have had a million sunburns. She actually said I had bad sun damage everywhere but her nurse said I was still pretty cute.

 

[darien87]

You've got an issue with your Trapezoid?!?!

Sorry just had to give you some crap for that one. But in all seriousness good luck with that. Hope it turns out well for you.

 

[Rickster71]

Ouch!

..... but her nurse said I was still pretty cute.

Did you give him your number?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You've got an issue with your Trapezoid?!?!

Sorry just had to give you some crap for that one. But in all seriousness good luck with that. Hope it turns out well for you.

Crap...and I am in the medical field.

Trapezius

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Did you give him your number?

I was gonna but he already seen me without my pants...

 

[Swerd]

Yep, I am pretty well educated on skin disease since one of my major accounts is a wound care clinic.

Pictures don't bother me at all. I worked in an ICU for 20 years as a critical care respiratory therapist. I can eat a sandwhich during an open chest code as I squeeze the heart.

It is the first BCC that I have ever had. I am just not overly concerned with it at this point. Once she numbed it up, I asked if I could scrape it for biopsy but she said no.

And now for the bad news…

Experts agree that prolonged listening to Paradigm speakers does indeed cause cancer !

 

[ParadigmDawg]

And now for the bad news…

Experts agree that prolonged listening to Paradigm speakers does indeed cause cancer !

Those are just in my bathroom.

I have Veracity HT3's in my main room and they have been hand rubbed...

 

[j_garcia]

Wow dude, sorry to hear that. I went in for a routine eye exam recently and ended up getting referred to a specialist who told me the retina in my right eye is detaching. I had no vision issues, so they basically caught it early and were able to fix it a few weeks ago. I get rechecked next month. They said had it not been treated, I would have eventually lost sight in that eye.

 

[Swerd]

Those are just in my bathroom.

I have Veracity HT3's in my main room and they have been hand rubbed...

If Alex helped with the hand rubbing, please tell me you got him to wash his hands first.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

If Alex helped with the hand rubbing, please tell me you got him to wash his hands first.

His hands were cold.....