Melanoma & Skin Cancer support: Introduce yourself and connect

Thanks Ginger, at 82 years old I shouldn’t be worried about it either. I already have two scars on my face from childhood. I just don’t want my eye to be deformed. I think a plastic surgeon is going to do it so it shouldn’t be too awful.
Thanks for your advice
Delia

@delia2250yahoocom For me, I would rather have the skin cancer removed than worry about a deformity. You can ask your dermatologist what would happen if you do not have the basal cell spot addressed, as they know you and your history.

As an aside, two days ago I had biopsies taken of two suspicious spots, contained within each eyebrow. The area on my left eyebrow previously had a Mohs procedure for squamous cell. The right eyebrow has an area we have been trying to freeze off, but it will not go away. Am I concerned about losing more than half of each eyebrow? Not really. At 72, each scar, wrinkle, and gray hair has been earned!
Ginger

I am 82 years old and have multiple health problems. One that has developed over the last year is Basal Cell. They are multiplying. I have one just under my eye that needs further removal. I have to see a surgeon to get this done because my dermatologist isn’t comfortable doing it. I am worried it will be a deforming result. What would happen if i didn’t do anything further. It was cut off but dermatologist thinks it needs further removal

Interesting that you think melanoma is relatively rare. My dad is one of 15 children that all got some form of cancer. Now the children and grand children have skin cancer including melanoma. I have had 3 cases of it plus many other forms. My brother recently died from a melanoma on his back. My son has had 4 cases of melanoma along with my nephew. It is called the curse in our family.

Yes, research has shown that people with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a higher risk of developing melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Studies suggest that individuals with PD are approximately 2 to 4 times more likely to develop melanoma compared to the general population. The exact reasons for this connection are not fully understood, but several theories exist:
Shared Biological Pathways: Both Parkinson's disease and melanoma may involve abnormalities in certain cellular processes, such as melanin production (related to skin pigmentation) and dopamine metabolism (linked to PD). For instance, the enzyme tyrosinase, which is involved in melanin synthesis, might play a role in both conditions.
Genetic Factors: Some genetic mutations or variations, such as those in the LRRK2 gene, have been associated with both PD and an increased risk of melanoma, suggesting a possible genetic link.
Environmental Factors: Exposure to certain environmental factors, like pesticides, has been implicated in both PD and melanoma, though this connection is less clear.
Medication Effects: Levodopa, a common treatment for Parkinson's, has been investigated as a potential contributor to melanoma risk due to its role in dopamine synthesis, which is chemically related to melanin. However, evidence linking levodopa directly to melanoma is inconclusive, and the increased risk appears to predate medication use in many cases.
Interestingly, the relationship may be bidirectional—people with melanoma also appear to have a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life. This suggests a complex interplay rather than a simple cause-and-effect relationship.
That said, while the association is well-documented, melanoma remains relatively rare even among those with PD.

Hi. My name is Amy. I have had a few scares with moles. I have had 2 severely atypical nevus, 1 in situ and one melanoma. This was very scary. It was located behind my ear. I would have never seen it. Thank goodness I go in for my every 6 month rechecks or I think that it would have been a bad outcome. Luckily the margins were clear with no residual melanoma identified. Do you know that if you have Parkinson’s that you have an increased risk of melanoma? I have PD.

Ginger, I've also had several basal and squamous cell CAs but it took a diligent plastic surgeon to point out the pinkish lesion I thought he could laser had suspicious irregular borders and suggested I see my dermatologist. The PA there didn't share those concerns but agreed to do a biospy; thank goodness as it was melanoma. I also wound up having a WLE with adjacent tissue rearrangement on my face, and now subsequent metastatic melanoma. Agree: Can't underscore the importance of sun screen enough!

I had to share again. My 1st trip to a dermatologist was to see who my
Dad regularly visited. He was a man of color, retired from the military. He was good but far from where i lived. I saw why my dad went to him. At 35 I had my 1st Basal cell burned off. I must say that as she finished the procedure on my left forearm, I immediately thought who was going to take care of it? I lived alone. I did of course.
As time went on, my 3rd dermatologist i stayed with the longest was retired Air Force and a pathologist. He would head to his office and once showed me once about margins with skin cancers with the slides. He taught me about all three. When he retired another dr replaced him who said the prior dr i had cut too much out. This new dr had nowhere near the experience of my other dr. He also did not remove the cancers; I had to go to the plastics dr for that. a2ndvisit. I did not like that he badmouthed my dr so i did not go back. It was 5 yrs till my next dr visit when i arrived at City of Hope for breast cancer.
Bottom line is that plastic dr had actually lifted the side of my face the basal was on. Even today it has less wrinkles on that side. It was 8 years ago i had something cut off my forehead. It was like a lift. My forehead wrinkles were lessened. Crazy. When someone said i was looking young after losing weight, I thought about the Basal cells removed from my face and neck.
Lastly, i had the MOHS on my nose. Three layers. Very interesting. I was happy Covid was in its later days, I was working from home and many people wore masks. I am now set to go once a year unless something needs looking at.

thank you for starting this. i've only had mohs once a couple of years ago on the back of my knee and it was removed without having to take more off. i'm medium complextion, but every spring from age 13 until probably 50 i got at least one good blistering sunburn. i actually did it on purpose as when it peeled off it started me on my deep dark tan that i kept until late autumn. finally started using sunscreen in my forties only on my chest, face and shoulders. i still tan at age 67, but not to the extent of blistering sunburns. i live in alabama so we get a good 8 months of suntanning. i've got so many age spots, freckles & barnacles (as my dermatologist calls them)
i feel like a monster unless i tan. as i've said for 30 years "a tan covers a multitude of imperfections". Still true. the tanning ruined my skin years ago when i was young when i had zero freckles, age spots or barnacles. So, with my medium complextion, the cancer causing burns can't be changed now. so i just keep tanning trying to cover up my ugly wrinkled skin. oh yeah, my chest skin is like crepe paper, bleeds if i barely scratch an itch. just another pitfall of lifetime if burning!

Hi to all! I am @gingerw, a volunteer mentor here on Connect, but more importantly, a fellow melanoma and skin cancer patient. In 2008 I had an amelanotic [no coloring] melanoma removed from my right forearm. It took 4 different doctors to finally get one to take me seriously, as that form is not very common. The scar from the flap surgery they did is 32 stitches!

In addition to that there have been many basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas removed. A notable one was in the center of my forehead, where it now looks like my third eye is there! Each eyebrow hid squamous cell cancers, and there is a cool looking lightning-looking jagged scar from anodular basal cell removal between my throat and collarbone. Add in MOHS scars on each arm, nostrils, and so on.

Wearing a good sunscreen everyday can be a pain, but helps to minimize the chance of more skin cancers. I truly suspect I will never be free of the threat of them.
Ginger