watching out for skin cancers

[natnnnat]

Gregory has to go to a skin specialist every 6 months or so, ever since he developed a skin cancer on the side of his head and had it burned off (just above his temple, its a patch about the size of an Australian 50c piece.  Okay, no one knows what that means;  its round, and the diameter is probably about the same as the width of your eye.)

He went to see the skin specialist yesterday.  Got about eight little bits burned off him.  They swelled up a bit afterward, like bee stings, and there is one above his other ear which is just where his glasses sit, which weeps a bit.  Though he doesn't complain I do notice he gets a bit drab about it all ... but its better than another of those nasty skin cancers.  Apart from the pain and the danger, man that thing smelt.

[willowtreewren]

Since Carl's TX he goes in every three months to have those nasty places burned off. Better safe than sorry!

 

Aleta

[RichardMEL]

This is an interesting topic to me and right now skin cancer is perhaps my biggest post-tx worry. Why? I love to walk a lot and that means outside. I like to walk around the local park or lake, or even around the city in my lunch break from work, or down to the shops or whatever. Now I am VERY conscious about skin care - I have containers of sunscreen everywhere - even right in front of me here at work on my desk and when I walk  wear shirt/jeans and hat and try to make sure my ears are covered, nose and face and back of my neck etc is covered either by clothes/hat or sunscreen, but I am still a bit paranoid/worried that it isn't enough and every time I see a little pimple or something on my arm I worry, but then it goes away and well maybe it's OK. Nobody at clinic has said anything like "you should be checked" or "I can see that on your arm it's a worry" or even really mentioned it except in passing, as in the TC reminding me that when I went to Vegas I had to be extra careful in the heat and sun - which I already knew. I should perhaps discuss this concern with the TC when I see her next in clinic, given we're coming into summer......

[natnnnat]

The sunshine is strong here in Oz, and you do have to watch it I reckon.  I'm pretty sure I've also been told that you can get skin cancers from places that were burnt back when you were a lad, they can sleep for years I believe.  That said, slip slop slap! I'd be inclined to find an alert GP who is willing to send you to a skin specialist, renal folk are good with renality but may not know skin cancers.  A lady I know from an Australian renal group had the experience that her renal specialists were happy with some lumps on her husband (who had a kidney transplant) but when she finally got him to a skin specialist he whipped them off.  Mainly, keep an eye on anything scaly, or wartish, or otherwise odd.  I know of a GP in Sydney who is also a skin specialist and was very cluey, when I brought Gregory in to see him for the flu, he looked at him squinty for a bit and then said, you have had a cancer removed there, and you are a transplant recipient, so you must be on immuno-suppressants, are you being checked regularly? I liked that GP.  But we moved away, now he is a long way.  If ever I need him, at least I know where to go.

[RichardMEL]

thanks. Yeah I don't really have a GP right now - the last one I used moved to SYD so yeah I'm "in between" at the moment. I may well ask at clinic about it. They've been good re my eye condition, and the TC is big on the skin cancer education stfuf, so they may well have links to good folks here. I do keep an eye on myself as much as I can. What worries me more than what I might find on my arms or legs is what I can't see, eg on my neck, or back etc - which makes regular checkups a must i think. It should be a part of clinic I reckon - like even once every six months or a year or something you are set up to be examined - even if it's a general 5 minute check to see if there's anything that looks suspect....

[Chris]

I have to go to a dermatologist every 6 months or sooner depending what they find from visit. I haven't had any skin cancer yet, just wounds that don't heal that are tested for cancer. Since I have sight problems they go over the whole body in a very cold room with only a light gown on .
 
Nanpat, when you say they burnt off spots, how do they do that? I have had cryo done on one spot that made me shake bad from the coldness for something that was on my finger.

[natnnnat]

Sorry for the delay, I just found your question.  They "burn" the spots off by freezing them with nitrous oxide, I believe.  I am going to check with Gregory.  Also, when he had a "deeper" case of skin cancer, they used a kind of laser treatment which worked for one patch, not for another.  I'll get gregory to comment and report back.

[wj13us]

I've literally has so many of these things I've lost count somewhere at about 15...and that was years ago.  I've had them frozen, cut out, skin graphs etc.  Last time I was in the dermatologist she walked in holding liquid nitrogen (the stuff they use to freeze them).  And said I seen you were the next patient so I knew I'd need this.  I'm sure one day they are just going to make it easier and just hoist me up by my ankles and dip me in the stuff.

The last one I had to have surgically removed the pathology report was not ready yet but the surgeon said we'll remove it anyway because "He knows what these cancers look like."

Any questions about the type of cancers we get (squamous cell) I'm the guy to ask.

Bill