Basal Cell Carcinoma on Leg

Hello @mistymae The basal cell carcinoma on your leg most likely wasn’t in ingrown hair that morphed. Some basal cell carcinomas begin as a little pearly/transparent bump on the skin. And it’s not that rare. This skin cancer tends to develop in areas of sun exposure.

In my case, it was a small, pinkish mark on my ankle, maybe 2 mm, which is very small. Over the years it grew a little in size and it would get scaly, like it needed lotion and then scab over. It would heal and the cycle would start again. This went on for maybe 8 years? It enlarged to the size of a pencil eraser but again, no pain…just flaked, scabbed over and then look ok for a short period.
I did bring it up to my PCP on annual checkups but he kept telling me it was nothing. I wasn’t buying that answer because I’d read about skin cancers and this was exhibiting all the signs of a basal cell carcinoma. So I scheduled an appt with a dermatologist.
I’m glad I trusted my instinct because she diagnosed it right away as a BCC but took a biopsy. Sure enough it was. I returned for a simple excision of the area and made sure the margins were clean. It’s been checked 3 times since its removal a year ago and my doctor is confident there is no residual…it didn’t spread.

My skin cancer was a direct result of a severe sunburn when I was in my early 20s. I’m now 69 and this probably started when I was 60-ish. BCC is generally slow to progress so chances are yours hasn’t either. But it should be removed if it hasn’t already. You can relax because this won’t take you away from your kids.☺️
Do you have an appointment scheduled for removal?

Hi, thank you for responding. I had it removed, but the margin wasn’t clear, which worries me deeply. The doctor, who I haven’t spoken to directly, prescribed a cream for the remaining cancer, but I am very skeptical of this and would prefer it removed surgically. I will talk to the doctor tomorrow, but I haven’t been able to since he has been off since Thursday when I received a phone call from him that I missed. My cyst was larger than yours and I’m concerned about spread although maybe the doctor isn’t. It’s just scary, so I don’t know if I should get a second opinion.

Talk to your doctor tomorrow and tell him of your concerns.
The cream he prescribed is most likely Efudex, which is a topical medication which stops the growth of cancer cells for Basal Cell Carcinoma. So this may be all you need.

Here’s a little article about the medication which might help ease your mind.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/efudex-cream-for-the-treatment-of-skin-cancer-3010838
However, after speaking with the doctor, if you still have qualms by all means have a second opinion. It will ease your mind and give you the reassurance you need.

Thanks again for your reply. The cream is actually imiquimod, which I’ve read only has a 70% effectiveness for the nodular bcc, which is what I have while excision with clear margins is closer to 95%. The nurse told me that they are worried about the cosmetic appearance since the leg doesn’t have extra skin to use for surgery, but I’m more concerned with the cancer and don’t mind the cosmetic appearance of it means I will be okay.

For pity's sake! Like you, i would be more concerned about the cancer, not how the leg looks! When I had my melanoma surgically removed from my right forearm, it left a 32 stitch scar that looks like a shark bite! "So what? the cancer is gone." Likewise, when they took a squamous cell cancer from the middle of my forehead, it looks like a big divot there. "So what? the cancer is gone." And the anodular basal cell [like yours on your leg] they removed on my collarbone area left a scar looking like a lightning strike. "So what? the cancer is gone."
Ginger

I'm in my 80s and have lost count of how many BCCs I have had over the years. My most recent one was on my right, lower eye lid and was the most complicated one to date. A dermatologist specializing in MOHs surgery removed it in a 90 minute session. It takes a while as they keep checking the margin and cut until it is clear. It left quite a hole in the eyelid. From there I went to a specialist in eyelid reconstruction surgery and was very uncomfortable (mainly due to a lousy chair) for about two hours. It was early in Covid so I also had a mask on the entire time. At the beginning of the surgery visit I was told my eyelid would be sewn shut for six weeks, which I had not been told previously. Being pissed probably didn't help my comfort level during the surgery. It seemed like the whole right side of my face around the eye had been beaten with a club. It wept blood for a couple of days which disturbed my wife and she sent several Ipad pictures to the surgeon but it eventually became a dull, unsightly ache, No depth perception can be risky. Now, all's well that ends well. Healed very well.

Hello beatrixflower. I found your post about basal cell carcinoma on the lower leg. I have the same situation, basal cell carcinoma on my lower leg and muscle pain, just like you did. Please tell me what form of basal cell carcinoma you were diagnosed with? I am very worried about pain in the calf muscle of my leg. I can't figure out the cause of the pain in my leg muscles.

Welcome to Connect, @eugen1205, while you’re waiting for a reply from @beatrixflower, can you share a little more about your basal cell carcinoma? Did you have this removed?
What has your doctor said about the pain you’re experiencing?

It all started when I began to experience severe itching in the lower leg area. When I took a closer look at this place, I noticed a strange seal that was causing itching. I didn’t attach any importance to this and continued to live my normal life. After some time, the itching no longer bothered me. Somewhere after 1-1.5 years, hair follicles became inflamed near this place, which caused pain, and I again paid attention to my old problem. The itching returned again, but muscle pain in this area of the leg was added.

Also, a little above this itchy formation, a swelling of the skin appeared in the form of a subcutaneous tumor, but nothing was found on the ultrasound of this place.