Skin squamous cell carcinoma (recurring)

Posted by annabach @annabach, Jul 2, 2023

Anyone else battled on-going outbreaks of squamous cell cancers? I have had dozens on my legs in the last two years. One required a swim graft. Three were MOHS procedures. A dozen were excisions with sutures. The rest were small and frozen. I just had an aggressive one removed the had quickly extended all the way to muscle. Who did you see? Are there other treatment options besides continued surgeries? I have at least six more that have popped up in the last week. It feels as though this will never end!

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@maggielynn

Curious. What is the RT route?

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Radiation theray

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That’s right, Re RT. What are you doing for preventative? I can give you some ideas if you need it.

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@thomasgrove

I hope you have successful treatment.

I was just like you, very active and the info about SRT seemed so painless. I found out the hard way and had a full year of wound care and HBOT treatments. I know Mohs may have healing complications - in my case the damage from radiation made it even more difficult to heal.

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What is HBOT treatment?

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I am also struggling with Squamous, 7 surgeries over past 7 months, and now 2 reactive squamous came up in my incision on right forearm. I’m in Europe now, the plan was Flourcil injections but now they are big and growing, not sure. Very frustrating.
Everyone pls look into blue light as a preventative!

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@maggielynn

What is HBOT treatment?

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HBOT treatment is Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment. It involves spending time in a chamber for 2-hours, 5 times a week for a month. The chamber is pressurized so you receive high concentration of oxygen to rejuvenate the tissue in order to promote healing and recovery. The treatment is painless, however, very time consuming.

The technician does a base-line test called a T-COM test, which is a Transcutaneous Oxygen Test. In my instance, this was 0.9, normal range should be about 20 - 40 mmHg. This means the oxygen saturation in my tissue at the wound was very low and the HBOT therapy was necessary to restore this oxygen saturation for healing. This was caused by the radiation damage from my Superficial Radiation Treatments (SRT) to my legs.

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@maggielynn

That’s right, Re RT. What are you doing for preventative? I can give you some ideas if you need it.

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Dermatologist are offering a technology called Superficial Radiation Treatment (SRT). The treatment is administered on equipment manufactured by Sensus Healthcare in Boca Raton, Florida. Sensus is a small company, they are aggressively marketing their machines to a turn-key customer, called Skin Cure Oncology. Skin Cure Oncology has a website called Gentile Cure and they are actively setting up partnerships with Dermatologists all across the USA and internationally.

SRT may be a good treatment for SCC for lesions at the face, neck and arms. Because of my adverse experience, I have thoroughly researched this technology and can provide document that SRT is contraindicated for the treatment of SCC on the lower limbs. I have documented this information on the FDA Maude Database, which is available to any patient to submit any adverse event from a medical device. Search FDA Maude Database, Manufacturer "Sensus Healthcare", Dates "2016 to present". You will find multiple adverse events associated with the treatment of lower limbs.

I empathize with each of you going through Mohs surgery on your lower legs, however, I can testify the risk of a more serious non-healing skin ulceration is more difficult if you use the SRT option for lower limbs.

I believe this is the RT you may be referring to if it is administered by a Dermatologist. Otherwise, a radiation health physicist would be involved in the administration of Radiation Therapy (RT), and this would be outside of the scope of what Sensus / Skin Cure Oncology offer in their sales program to Dermatologists.

In answer to your last comment, it would absolutely be helpful to hear from you on any preventative strategies you use to protect yourself from SCC in lower limbs. We all would benefit from you input.

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Hi@annabach,

I just wanted to inquire if you are taking Hydroxyurea? I am taking it for Essential Thrombocytosis and skin cancer is a possible effect of the drug.

Best wishes, Eileen

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@thomasgrove

Dermatologist are offering a technology called Superficial Radiation Treatment (SRT). The treatment is administered on equipment manufactured by Sensus Healthcare in Boca Raton, Florida. Sensus is a small company, they are aggressively marketing their machines to a turn-key customer, called Skin Cure Oncology. Skin Cure Oncology has a website called Gentile Cure and they are actively setting up partnerships with Dermatologists all across the USA and internationally.

SRT may be a good treatment for SCC for lesions at the face, neck and arms. Because of my adverse experience, I have thoroughly researched this technology and can provide document that SRT is contraindicated for the treatment of SCC on the lower limbs. I have documented this information on the FDA Maude Database, which is available to any patient to submit any adverse event from a medical device. Search FDA Maude Database, Manufacturer "Sensus Healthcare", Dates "2016 to present". You will find multiple adverse events associated with the treatment of lower limbs.

I empathize with each of you going through Mohs surgery on your lower legs, however, I can testify the risk of a more serious non-healing skin ulceration is more difficult if you use the SRT option for lower limbs.

I believe this is the RT you may be referring to if it is administered by a Dermatologist. Otherwise, a radiation health physicist would be involved in the administration of Radiation Therapy (RT), and this would be outside of the scope of what Sensus / Skin Cure Oncology offer in their sales program to Dermatologists.

In answer to your last comment, it would absolutely be helpful to hear from you on any preventative strategies you use to protect yourself from SCC in lower limbs. We all would benefit from you input.

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Yes, preventative treatment for squamous carcinoma, would be blue light which you can do on face, chest and arms and legs. Additionally, there is a Flourcil treatment. There is a cream that you put on twice a day for seven days, I just did that on my arm, didn’t get much of a reaction at all. I actually prefer the flourcil liquid that you do twice a day for 14 days. You get a great reaction with this bringing out all of the pre- cancerous.

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@hmlane

I just found this conversation and I thank you all for your posts. I too, am struggling with SCC and have had several excisions on my legs with two more coming up in two weeks. I also just found one on my forearm and am having it removed as well. I am highly active and do not appreciate all the stitches. But being fair skinned and a childhood with too much sun, as someone previously posted, this is the price we are now paying.

My derm tried to convince me to do the RT route but insurance wouidn't pay for it and it would be $12,000 out of pocket so I opted for the old fashioned way...excision. After reading all of the comments, I am glad I did not go the RT route!

Good luck everyone and pass the sun screen!

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@hmlane, how did the recent excisions go? How are you doing?

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@colleenyoung

@hmlane, how did the recent excisions go? How are you doing?

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I had two earlier this year and two more this week and two more next week. The stitches are not a problem but the healing and scar dissipation takes a long time. I have not found an answer to the problem of what causes the squamous cells to appear in the first place. I understand the sun exposure but these cells just appear and usually after I have cut the skin like walking into the corner of the dishwasher or rock scrapes from hiking. TY for asking!

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