Squamous cell cancer

I know what you are going through. Be not afraid. Squamous is a horse of a different color from melanoma and is better-behaved. It is slower-growing and does not migrate into the bloodstream. My husband died of melanoma 8 years ago. Now I am being treated for squamous -cell bumps on my ankles and shins. I had Moh’s surgery on two of the bumps in February after biopsies identified them as squamous-cell. My surgeon put stitches in one and left the other to heal without stitches because of its location right over my shin bone. Since my extremities heal slowly, it took about 40 days for the scabs to finally fall off. I have other bumps on my legs. Rather than biopsy all of them, my dermatologist prescribed an ointment called flourouracil which amounts to do-it-yourself chemo treatment. I applied it twice a day for about 5 weeks and watched the bumps get angry, flare up, and scab. Now I am applying a steroid ointment to calm them down. They are finally looking and feeling much better. See my doctor again in a couple of weeks.

Slow growing? Not in my case. A few weeks ago I had a red raised area about the size of a dime pop up on my left forearm. There was no itching, burning or aching so I did not think it was a bug bite. I went to my Dermatologist who said cancer does not come up that fast and told me to give it 30 days and see what it does. In two weeks it was going through changes--some areas in the red became light colored. I went back to the dermatologist and he biopsied it--squamous. I'll have Mohs surgery this Thursday. A year and a half ago there were two places on my left calf that he said he did not think they were cancer. A few months went by and he finally biopsied them--squamous. Mohs surgery that took a year to heal--15 stitches. Years ago I had squamous on both legs--one requiring plastic surgery. I do have an autoimmune condition, lichen planus which exhibits itself with various types of skin eruptions, itching and burning. I think he was willing to brush these situations off as LP. I think I now know my body better than he does. I'm so tired of these surgeries and wonder why so many episodes so close together.

I know what you are going through. Be not afraid. Squamous is a horse of a different color from melanoma and is better-behaved. It is slower-growing and does not migrate into the bloodstream. My husband died of melanoma 8 years ago. Now I am being treated for squamous -cell bumps on my ankles and shins. I had Moh’s surgery on two of the bumps in February after biopsies identified them as squamous-cell. My surgeon put stitches in one and left the other to heal without stitches because of its location right over my shin bone. Since my extremities heal slowly, it took about 40 days for the scabs to finally fall off. I have other bumps on my legs. Rather than biopsy all of them, my dermatologist prescribed an ointment called flourouracil which amounts to do-it-yourself chemo treatment. I applied it twice a day for about 5 weeks and watched the bumps get angry, flare up, and scab. Now I am applying a steroid ointment to calm them down. They are finally looking and feeling much better. See my doctor again in a couple of weeks.

I hate to say it but I would’ve found a new doctor- I’d be angry if asked to wait to see what happens! But I’m still angry after losing the love of my life - there was no sense of urgency. We lost so much time! I’m now paranoid about any form of skin cancer.

Slow growing? Not in my case. A few weeks ago I had a red raised area about the size of a dime pop up on my left forearm. There was no itching, burning or aching so I did not think it was a bug bite. I went to my Dermatologist who said cancer does not come up that fast and told me to give it 30 days and see what it does. In two weeks it was going through changes--some areas in the red became light colored. I went back to the dermatologist and he biopsied it--squamous. I'll have Mohs surgery this Thursday. A year and a half ago there were two places on my left calf that he said he did not think they were cancer. A few months went by and he finally biopsied them--squamous. Mohs surgery that took a year to heal--15 stitches. Years ago I had squamous on both legs--one requiring plastic surgery. I do have an autoimmune condition, lichen planus which exhibits itself with various types of skin eruptions, itching and burning. I think he was willing to brush these situations off as LP. I think I now know my body better than he does. I'm so tired of these surgeries and wonder why so many episodes so close together.

my friend has been struggling along with the same. Her doctor told her this:
https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20210412/widely-used-bp-meds-may-raise-skin-cancer-risk