Squamous cell cancer is painful and growing fast!

@gracietucker Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I certainly can relate to the discomfort. Ask to see a copy of the biopsy report, or perhaps it is on the patient portal for your doctor?

My suggestion is to call your dermatologist's office, explain what you are experiencing. Ask for first available opening, being put on cancellation list. If they have more than one location, let them know you'll take any location. This is what I have had to do with my skin cancers. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. But if you don't try, you know the answer will be "no"!

Can you make that call tomorrow?
Ginger

@gracietucker I join with Ginger in welcoming you; glad you found us to relay your concerns and seek direction. I agree this is a matter you need to alert your dermatologist to as they may want to see you sooner when you tell them the area has grown considerably in the time since you've had it biopsied.

As far as that biopsy goes, since it wasn't a complete excision at the time of the initial biopsy they may not have complete staging until the full MOHS is completed. Typically what you may expect to see in the initial pathology report on the biopsy, especially if it was a shave biopsy is: the identification of the carcinoma if/'when identified, how deep it appears, if the cancerous cells extended to the margins or not, and how differentiated the cells may appear - however, this is not exact staging in most cases as staging can look much more deeply at the excised tissue to determine the size and features. The summation is usually listed in the impression summary but can be difficult to understand; still, as Ginger stated, you can definitely request a copy for your files as well as an explanation from your dermatologist.

Ginger and I will be standing by to hear what the office has to say. Can you follow up here?

Thank you. I will contact my dermatologist tomorrow to have her take a look at the area again and will update with whatever information I get.

I can make that call to my dermatologist tomorrow and I will! I’ve already called my MOHS surgeon and asked to be put on a waiting list if any openings come available before August, but I didn’t specify that I could go to any of their locations. I will call again tomorrow and make that clear.

Thank you for your advice.

You need MOHS surgery asap. Squamous Cell cancers can grow very very quickly. If you wait the MOHS surgical site is much much more extensive and longer healing time. It can also spread to other parts of the body.

Call the MD office to see if they can get you in more quickly.

Thank you. Dr. Can see me this Thursday, but surgeon can’t change my August appointment. I’m hopeful that, if my doctor is very concerned, she may be able to pull some strings and get me in sooner. Frankly, I’m not holding my breath.