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Medical literature about hydroxyurea and skin cancer
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Mar 15 2:07pm | Replies (11)Comment receiving replies
I had been on HU for 15+ years when I was diangnosed with locally advance Basel cell carcinoma.
So yes the correlation is real. No doctor ever warned me about skin cancer and when it was found still would not admit a correlation.
The cancer was found spread over one side of my head. I was usually diligent with a sunscreen on my body but did not think about my head.
I’ve had multiple Mohs surgeries and have been successful with immiquimod cream. But my head is scarred and that’s hard for a woman
I have since switched to Anagrelide as treatment for my ET. I see on these threads most people take HU
Not me anymore……
Just trying to get the word out about long term side affects and the importance of sunscreen if you must take HU
The best website to read about ET which mentions the correlation between HU and skin cancer is http://www.rarediseases.org
Replies to "I had been on HU for 15+ years when I was diangnosed with locally advance Basel..."
Good morning my fellow HU people. My situation appears to be different from others in this matter. When I was younger, I layed on the beach all summer. I did surfing, scuba diving, and hang gliding. All of this was done without sunscreen. We did not know what sunscreen was in 1973. Fast forward to 2010. I started getting Basel cell carcinomas and had many Mohs surgeries. I did not join the HU club until 2018. Since then I have had more basel cell carcinomas and more Mohs. I think I have had more Mohs since I started taking HU but it is hard to tell. My doctors think it may be related to HU but since I started having them 8 years before HU who knows? I think we can all agree exposure to the sun is not good long term.
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Thank you. On my list for the dermatologist today is to ask if there are any newer hypoallergenic sunscreens. Ones I've tried in the past, including a long list of dermatologist-recommended ones, have caused an allergic reaction where applied. I have one that I can use for a few days before reacting so reserve it for long days backpacking above tree line. My hematologist has moved out of state so I'll have to wait and ask someone new at my next checkup.