Dealing with aggresive Squamous Cell Carcinoma & other conditions

Posted by hopetony @hopetony, Mar 30 11:41am

My name is Shelia. I am a care giver and my fiance. As a matter of fact he is putting off getting married because of his illness. Doesn't make sense to me because he needs help.
His name is Tony. He has aggresive Squamous Cell Carcinoma. It is all over his head, face, arms, ears and 3 on his back. The Dermatalogist has him getting radiation on 3 of them now.
There is one on his head that is infected and antibiotics he has taken did not get rid of it.
Is there anyone that is going through this type of situation? I am constantly researching for any answers I can find. He also suffers from Type 2 Diabetes and Heart problems. He is 72 years old.
Any words would help. Thank you!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Support Group.

William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Mar 31 7:22am

@hopetony Hello and welcome. It looks like you both have a full plate. I have not heard of such a case of multiple SCC and how that is treated. You may want to seek out a major cancer center for treatment rather than the current situation. This of course is just my opinion. Multiple melanomas are more common.
It is understandable why a loved one wishes to not drag the other half through their suffering. If roles were reversed, it becomes clearer to the caregiver.
And we should also face the inevitable, that soon or late our body betrays us and we all must go home to our maker. Hopefully that is not the case here yet it is an inescapable truth of life.
To be clear, Tony needs an oncologist rather than a dermatologist. You don’t put out a forest fire with a garden hose; it takes a team.
Don’t hesitate to start your own specific discussion in this forum about specific issues you two are facing. It will get better results. In the meantime, time to go to war.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 12 5:15pm

Hi @hopetony, I moved your post to the Skin Cancer support group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/melanoma-skin-cancer/

I did this so you can meet other members who are dealing with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. I'm sorry to hear about the infected lesion not healing. Wound care can be extra challenging when also dealing with diabetes and heart medications. Has he been referred to a wound specialist?

How are YOU doing?

mermaid7272 | @mermaid7272 | Apr 13 4:20pm

I have a somewhat similar set of medical problems. Suggest you try and find a "Palliative"
doctor. Larger medical facilities should have a department that has one on staff.
They focus on symptom management& treatment for those with several or advanced illnesses.

Susan, Volunteer Mentor | @grammato3 | Apr 14 6:03pm

@hopetony: I am so sorry to hear you are in this position. What Tony is suffering from is a form of squamous call carcinoma that has spread into the deep tissues, possibly the muscles and/or lymph nodes, It is often a recurrent type of cancer that can be difficult to treat and does require management by a skilled dermatologist often in combination with radiation oncologists or surgical oncologists.

Having diabetes makes wound healing more complicated due to high blood sugar that can damage blood vessels and nerves resulting in poor circulation - this decreased blood flow causes decreased oxygen and nutrients wounds need to heal, as @colleenyoung mentioned. That's why it may take longer and multiple antibiotics to assist in the process. It can be very debilitating to the individual affected.

I'm wondering if Tony harbors some fears or is trying to spare you the burden of having to care for him even though you've expressed a desire to do so. Do you know what Tony is aware of in regard to the alternatives and/or outcome of his treatments? Have you had the opportunity to express your feelings to each other about this? It's a delicate subject to approach. Should you decide to consider a palliative type of intervention, as @mermaid7272 suggested, a social worker may be available to facilitate such a discussion. Keep in mind that palliative care is not to be confused with hospice (end of life) care but focuses on improving quality of life by managing pain, symptoms, and the stress associated with the disease. Perhaps this is an avenue that you and Tony can bring up with his provider. Would you feel comfortable considering any of these?

BTW, I participate in the group @colleenyoung recommended and I find it very helpful!