← Return to Squamous cell cancer

Discussion

Squamous cell cancer

Skin Health | Last Active: Jul 7, 2023 | Replies (34)

Comment receiving replies
@nonobaddog

For basal cell another option might be photodynamic therapy. Back when this first started I was in a study to evaluate the therapy. I had a basal cell carcinoma on my side where the ribs are. It was about the size and shape of a peanut shell with the two lobes and very slightly narrower in the middle. In this study they put four small dot-like tattoos around it and took photos. The treatment was to put this sensitizing cream on the cancer and then cover it with a plastic film like Saran Wrap for two hours. Then they used a special blue light on it for several seconds. It was all computer controlled for the exact time. This process was repeated one week later and together this was considered a treatment unit. About a month later the treatment unit was repeated and shortly after that the basal cell cancer had completely disappeared. You could not tell anything had ever been there on that skin except for the tiny tattoos. I was amazed it looked perfectly normal.
But like I said, this was at the study stage and photodynamic therapy was not considered an approved treatment for basal cell cancer so they still had to remove that area of skin surgically using the tattoos and photographs as a guide.
As a result of these studies this treatment is now approved for specific conditions. Personally I did not care about any scars on my side but I think photodynamic therapy would be great for facial cancers on young people that care about that stuff.

Jump to this post


Replies to "For basal cell another option might be photodynamic therapy. Back when this first started I was..."

@nonobaddog How interesting to read about this! I've never heard of this treatment method before.

@koleke I have had everything from basal cell to squamous cell to melanoma, myself. Within each of those types have been unusual presentations. Anodular basal cell that needed MOHS and gave me a great lightning strike-looking scar. Amelanotic melanoma that was a flap surgery with horseshoe shaped 32 stitch scar on my arm. Each was biopsied first, which determined the treatment to be used, and yes, the healing can be pretty rough. Recently I had an aggressive squamous cell cancer removed, that needed 6 stitches to close. As the sutures were removed, they biopsied an new spot, that probably is the same aggressive squamous cell, located on top of my finger knuckle. Wow, that spot is so painful after the scrape biopsy! I am left wondering what they will do to remove the full cancer, since there is just the skin and bone there, hard to stitch it up. My "war wounds" have been honestly earned, and remind me of the battles I have faced.
Ginger