Squamous cell cancer

Posted by Annie @mlenney167, May 16, 2022

I just got biopsy results that a spot on my face is squamous cell cancer. They told me it’s in situ and did not grade it as any stage of cancer.
They recommend MOHS surgery and plastics - a plastic surgeon to close it to minimize scarring since it’s on my face - the lower right cheek. At this point I can’t get an appointment until June 4.

I’m terrified having lost someone to melanoma last year! They assure me it’s testable but I’m worried! Should I seek another opinion - is this the best course of action - can I afford to wait that long, and Do I lose more time by going somewhere else? Can they use the biopsy results or will they need the tissue, probably causing a delay.

Any advice?

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@fdixon63

Slow growing? Not in my case. A few weeks ago I had a red raised area about the size of a dime pop up on my left forearm. There was no itching, burning or aching so I did not think it was a bug bite. I went to my Dermatologist who said cancer does not come up that fast and told me to give it 30 days and see what it does. In two weeks it was going through changes--some areas in the red became light colored. I went back to the dermatologist and he biopsied it--squamous. I'll have Mohs surgery this Thursday. A year and a half ago there were two places on my left calf that he said he did not think they were cancer. A few months went by and he finally biopsied them--squamous. Mohs surgery that took a year to heal--15 stitches. Years ago I had squamous on both legs--one requiring plastic surgery. I do have an autoimmune condition, lichen planus which exhibits itself with various types of skin eruptions, itching and burning. I think he was willing to brush these situations off as LP. I think I now know my body better than he does. I'm so tired of these surgeries and wonder why so many episodes so close together.

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I have to let everyone know that I went to a Dermatologist that was recommended to me by my Dermatologist. Interesting, right? Well, I am so glad that I went to see her. I was diagnosed with Squamous Cell and had Mohs surgery on 4 areas. A couple of months later, more popped up on the scarred areas. I had them biopsied and they came back as Squamous cell also. I have also been diagnosed with Lichen Planus. She was very skeptical of all of this happening. She called the person that read the biopsy (during my appointment) and spoke with him! She now thinks that I have Acetic Keratosis because I had a trauma to the area where I first had these pop up on my skin. They are now finding out that the trauma from the Mohs surgery (stitches) can cause more to pop up. I am now doing needle treatments of chemo and steroid mixture to see if these will go away. I have had my first treatment and I go back in a month to see if I will need more shots or if they are gone! I tried to tell the Dermatologists about the trauma to the area, but no one listened or didn't know that it could be from that occurrence. It seems some Dermatologists are interested in getting to the specifics of the biopsies, and others are okay with the general diagnosis. Please be your own advocate and get a second opinion.

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I have had numerous recurring squamous cell cancers removed over the last two years on my legs. Most have been excisions with purse string sutures. Three have been MOHS procedures. One with a skin graft. The most recent (two days ago) was a “highly aggressive” form. I have again multiple “spots” that will likely need biopsy when I go back to have stitches out (they said insurance wouldn’t let them biopsy when they did an excision. It’s my deepest wound yet - down to the muscle. Where would I begin to look for a second opinion. I’ve lost count, but I have had open wounds on my legs every month of the last two years! Enough! There has to be something more going on than “sunburns in the 60s!” Any suggestions welcome! I’m in southwest Virginia.

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Stay with the appointment that you have scheduled. By the time you find a new doctor and they go through the testing and scheduling you it might be past the appointment you already have. I went through this last year. I was diagnosed in Florida but was leaving to go north. Was told the earliest the Dr in Fl can do the surgery was 3 months out. Decided to find a Dr in NJ. By th time they were done retesting and scheduling it was 3 months later that it was done. Mine was next to the eye. I was petrified of losing an eye and a nose everything worked out. No problems that dab of makeup won’t fix

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I have had several squamous cell and basal cell skin cancers scattered on my face arms and torso. I had one active one going that I hadn't gone in with yet on my arm when I was diagnosed with lung cancer. The lung cancer got all the attention and I went through the scans and biopsies to confirm and locate it and then started treatment of simultaneous proton radiation and chemo. The funny thing is the spot on my arm went away - they never go away. I told my doctors about it and they blew it off. I couldn't tell from them if this was normal and happened all the time or if they just didn't believe me or what. Anyhow I suspect the chemo fixed but it looks like I will never get that confirmed with my doctors so who knows.

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