Question:
I just came back from the dermatologist's. He thinks I may have skin
cancer--basal cell carcinoma, supposedly the least dangerous kind and
probably the most easily treatable. However, I'm truly scared. I won't
know for sure until next week when they get the results of the biopsy.
See, 2 years ago, I noticed a small scab on the top rear of my scalp
near where my hair naturally tends to part, but I didn't think much of
it. I thought it was just a small patch of eczema (which I get
slightly every now & then in dry conditions) that I might have
accidently scratched. So I didn't pay too much attention to it.
Later, it still wasn't healing properly--I thought that it was either
because I had aggravated it while brushing my hair, or the black hair
dye that my stylist uses on me. So finally, yesterday, I go to see the
dermatologist and BCC is what he suspects. How could I have gotten
this? I'm a pale chick with dyed-black hair who *never* goes out in
the sun. Even as a kid and a teen, I never sunbathed (I would get
nasty headaches if I stayed out in direct sun) and preferred to sit in
the house and read during my childhood summer vaca's.
Question for you guys: has anyone here had experience or known someone
that had BCC? I guess I'm just looking for a bit of comforting info.
Answer:
My fiance had two basal cell lesions removed from his forehead several
months ago. I can barely see where the scars are if I look closely;
in a few more months the scars will not be visible at all. Basal cell
carcinomas affect the skin itself, not the tissue beneath. The
surgical wounds from the removal of his lesions were very shallow.
I've had deeper scrapes.
Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common cancers found in human
beings. Your dermatologist has probably seen loads of basal cell
lesions.
Basal cell carcinomas grow locally but don't metastasize, meaning it's
contained around the area you see it and hasn't secretly spread to the
liver or colon. Treatment for basal cell carcinoma (usually
outpatient surgical excision under local anesthetic) is nearly always
successful and it is very, very, very rare for anyone to die from
basal cell carcinoma.
So, don't be scared. Remember that your biopsy may come back negative
for basal cell carcinoma, but even if it does come back as positive,
basal cell carcinoma is easily dealt with. The word 'cancer' is a
scary one, but treating a basal cell carcinoma isn't appreciably
different from removing a mole.
Here's a little more information:
http://www.everybody.co.nz/docsa_c/bcc.htm
Good luck. I've got my fingers crossed for you.
