Please help. Just found this on my dad's back.

[sprigatito]

My dad's partner died of cancer a few days ago, he and I were with her when she died, and I've brought him home with me until the funeral (and probably permanently). He's got Alzheimer's and his partner was his carer. He's been looking pained and twisting his shoulder, he said it's just a spot, but I made him show me his back and found this. It looks just like the squamous cell carcinoma he's had removed before, only it's enormous. He's lost weight and is pale and more vague and breathless than usual, but I thought it was just grief

This is really fucking bad, isn't it? He survived stage 4 lymphoma in 2017 and has a heart condition. I have a doctor calling me back from 111, but should I just take him to A&E?

Really, you think it's just a cyst and not skin cancer? I hope you are right, and I am overreacting, that would be the best possible outcome. Thank you.

I don't want to get your hopes up, OP, but metastasizing tumours smell like death, that's the only way I can describe it. My mum had a massive tumour under her arm and you could smell it all over the house: an unmistakable smell. The pictures looks like an angry cyst or boil. I really do hope for your DD's sake and for yours that's all it is. I'm rooting for you 💐

Please do not listen to anyone online who tells you what this is or isn't. You are right to be concerned and it is cruel for "professionals" to get your hopes up by telling you this is most likely a cyst. They can not know this. Don't forget you saw a nurse practitioner in real life who put him on the cancer pathway.

No advice OP but wanted to say that I am really sorry you, your dad and your family are all going through this.

A relative of mine had several tumours on her skin from metastatic breast cancer and they didn't smell strongly. They were like open sores at the end, but they didn't smell bad.

I'm really sorry you are having to deal with this OP.

You probably know this, but the chemo for NHL will have put him at higher risk of skin cancer down the line (I've also had NHL) so worth mentioning that explicitly to medics when you get him seen.

Hoping you get some answers soon.

I would be reluctant to take an 84 year old with Alzheimer's into a&e unless it was a matter of
life and death. I would keep him home if he's happy and comfortable and wait for another gp appointment or until your scheduled appointment. That sort of environment is not going to assist an elderly confused person in getting better and you'll all be shattered.

I don’t know what it is. But skin cancers don’t often leak, or grow fast enough that you can visibly notice the difference day to day. Cysts are very common and it is reasonable to suspect it is something common, before deciding it is something uncommon.

For the person saying I shouldn’t get your hopes up by saying it may be a cyst, I’m not sure people using language like necrotising/fungating/tumor is helpful in the slightest. It is not cruel to offer a different opinion.

No one should be telling her what it is or isn't. But especially not professionals whose words hold more weight. You've completely ignored this man's recent history which would tell you that something "uncommon" would not be unusual for him.

By all means give your opinion as a lay person, but don't use your profession as weight behind your opinion. It's very inappropriate. We all hope it's just a cyst, but the only help she should be getting from us is encouragement that she is doing a good job and the right thing in getting this checked out.

My dh was sent to a&e for a cyst and admitted that night, operation the next day.

Isn't it weird how the nhs works depending on your location. No dermatologist needed. The Dr knew what it was without a spealist second opinion. No leaking, no visible puss.

'There are no dermatologists in A&E'

There aren't any dermatologists in UTC or minor injures either but it doesnt matter, the ops dad is seeing one soon. At the moment he has an open wound that needs looking at, a clean and a dressing applied to prevent infection.

We're going to the walk in centre, as soon as I manage to get him to wash and change his clothes, he's being a bit awkward today!

Honestly, I think it's my responsibility to be cautious about people giving diagnoses online, I know that there's very limited evidence available to posters on this thread and it would be stupid of me to put too much stock into any one opinion (however tempting). I want to keep the thread going, because it's giving me a place to download my worries and bounce my thoughts off people, and the kindness and support is a lifeline at a really stressful time.

Wishing you and your dear dad all the best,will be thinking of you.

I hope you get some good care soon

Good luck today @sprigatito

Have been following your thread @sprigatito

Hope your dad gets on ok today.

I have also been following your thread and I hope you all get on ok at the walk in centre today.

Hope you've not had to hang around too long, and got some reassurance, if not necessarily any further treatment.

Just got back, it was definitely a worthwhile trip. The doctor I saw was really caring and thorough. He doesn't think it's an abscess or an infected cyst, he had a really thorough feel of it and didn't think there was fluid or pus inside it, and said the bit of staining and oozing was because it's starting to ulcerate in the middle.

He didn't sugarcoat anything, he said from dad's history and the look/feel of it, it's more likely than not that it's cancerous. He didn't think it was right that we wait until the 5th June, so he wants us to come back on Tuesday morning and he will personally ring the duty dermatologist and ask them to see dad immediately. He gave us a course of antibiotics to take just in case he's wrong and there is infection there. He also said that if the antibiotics have no effect on the lesion, which he thinks is likely, that will be further evidence that the dermatologist needs to see him urgently.

So it's probably bad news, but I actually feel better knowing that it's been taken seriously and there's a chance of being seen more quickly.

I am so grateful for all the support and hand-holding here, thank you all so much

So glad for you OP!

That's a great doctor there! - not great news for your dad, but really excellent care and attention (and following up).

Forgot to add, he said if it was an abscess or an infected cyst, at that size and appearance dad would be generally more ill and have a temperature etc.

It feels weird to be pleased at a post saying that it's probably bad news, but I'm glad that the trip to the walk in centre has helped to move things along a bit more quickly.

That's exactly how I feel! I felt in my gut from the first time I saw it that it was going to be cancer, so it's actually positive and reassuring that it's been treated as urgent now. We took Dad for a pasty, a pint and a potter round the shops afterwards, so he's completely forgotten anything scary he heard and is in a really good mood (he's whistling to himself while he's making a pot of tea) 😊

I'm glad you got seen by a caring and sensible doc. Sending you all my best.

Hi op, really sorry you're going through this.
I'd second that if it is cancer, he should come and stay with you if possible. I have stage 3 melanoma and Christ it's a full time job. Multiple appointments, you're dealing with 3-4 different departments (none of which communicate with eachother effectively) and you really have to advocate for yourself and remember a lot and chase and chase. Hes going to need someone to do that for him.