Remember to Schedule Your Skin Checks

Best wishes on your upcoming procedures. I had Moh’s on my temple and don’t recall any pain, buy think I took Tylenol.

@gingerw They sure are sneaky. My hairdresser had a large BCC on her scalp that required extensive surgery two years ago. Thank goodness for dermatologists who do thorough exams, like yours.

Indeed, the area on the forehead can be particularly sensitive. Can you apply ice afterwards? Maybe that will help alleviate some of the discomfort and swelling. I'm not sure if that's a recommendation after Mohs but maybe worth inquiring?

BTW, let me know if you got the information from letsreimagine.org. Might be helpful for some of your interests!

@grammato3
Thanks for the information and bearing with me on spelling.

I am a patient at Mayo Jacksonville. I have been going there since 2006. Such a complete change from then when only a couple of buildings and no hospital back in 2006.

I had a dermatologist P.A. that I have been seeing for years. She moved into cosmetic side so no longer see her. I got transferred to a M.D. dermatologist who is excellent and thorough but miss my close relationship with my prior P.A.

Thanks for clarifying the keratosis distinctions. Do you have a time frame for Mayo Jacksonville getting that new 3d scanner?

Good advice to follow the schedule. Make sure the person doing the scan does a good job. I had one PA that I thought wasn't paying attention, so I went back a few months later, having requested a different person, and came away needing 4 BCCs removed.

@itchyrich: 4 BCCs is a considerable amount. One thing you may consider requesting is that anyone doing the skin check use a dermascope, which is a handheld device used to examine skin with magnification and light and helps see lesions the naked eye might not otherwise be able to see. If you're not completely pleased with an exam performed by a member of your provider's staff, it's helpful to provide feedback in an objective manner to the physician or office manager to bring such concerns to their attention.

Had you become suspicious of any of the lesions yourself that prompted you to return to the provider?

@jc76 No worries - spelling of medical terms is an art unto itself!

It's hard when we have a medical provider with whom we've developed a bond and feel confident, only to have them change practice focus, retire, move, etc.

From what the LCSW who leads the Melanoma Support Group here through Mayo Clinic Connect informed us, Jacksonville is anticipating their scanner by years end.

If and when you undergo this type of scanning, can you let me know how it goes?

I had a melanoma removed in 1992 and have been pretty good at getting annual full body scans since then. I had a large number of Seborrheic Keratoses then and even more now so I'm always suspicious that one of them might be another melanoma. I've had a dozen or more BCCs since that time and, honestly, don't worry too much about them. The SKs come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. After the faulty exam, a large one on my shin became bothersome and it prompted me to go back to the only dermatologist practice in town for Mohs surgery. Of course, it got infected and took 12 weeks to fully heal. A smaller on the other shin healed just fine. What's surprising to me is that I'd never heard of a dermascope until recently and prior to a couple years ago, my dermatologist was the head of the department at UCSF. Next visit to the local dermatologist, I'll ask why they don't use one.

@grammato3
I sure will. I can also contact my dermatologist via portal and asked for an update.

Can you pass on again the name of the scanner so I can mentioned it specifically.

@jc76 Sure. It's referred to as a 3D scanner, used in dermatology for imaging of three-dimensional digital models of an individual's skin surface, documenting such things as pigment changes along with their volume, depth and surface area which can then be tracked from visit to visit. This helps identify skin cancers and other conditions earlier which would assist in planning on treatment options sooner. There are a few manufacturers of these devices, including Vectra and Visia; I'm not certain which have been or will be obtained by Mayo although I've heard more about the former. I'd imagine each are equally as proficient in detection.

Please let me know what you find out, thanks!

@itchyrich That must have been a long three months waiting for the incision to heal but at least the infection was identified and treatment provided. Good that the one on the shin healed well as those on the lower extremities frequently take a bit longer.

You're absolutely correct about the variety of SKs: they can be skin-colored, tan, brown, black; be smooth, waxy, or scaly surface, and can appear raised or flat and have various shapes. Treatment also varies: cryotherapy (freezing), electrocautery (burning), shaving or laser. Naturally, don't try any of these methods at home ! although sometimes a hydrogen peroxide solution may be prescribed by a provider depending on the type. I've had the cryotherapy treatments myself. Do you recall how any of yours had been treated?

I've also had numerous BCCs. Another interesting tidbit: Did you know that skin cancers occur here in the US more frequently on the left side of the body, particularly the face? This is due to the fact that when we drive we're subject to more sun exposure. That's right: UV radiation can travel through our car windows so even though we think we're not directly out in the sun, it's still important to apply that sun screen protection.

Come to think of it, that's where I had my melanoma - on my left cheek. Have you noticed any particular prevalence of where most of the BCCs were located?