Does this sound like a mild form of skin cancer?

[inmybelly]

Skin cancer is common in my family. My brother had a malignant melanoma aged 30 (caught early, all fine now) and my mum has had countless basal cell carcinomas removed. Not to mention lots of aunties and uncles having similar moles removed with varying severity.

The problem I have is a little unusual and I'm not sure if it's typical for any kind of skin cancer.

Basically on my right cheek bone i have a patch of skin which is always very dry and scaly. It has been for just over a year now. The patch is slightly bigger than a 50p. In the centre of this patch I'm prone to getting a little pink spot. This will come and go. It never develops a head or anything, but it always crops up in the same place. It hangs around for a few days, and then disappears for a week or so. It's not painful but can occasionally be a bit itchy.

I've always assumed the dry skin, sometimes getting a little cracked was either letting in infection causing the spot or, potentially, all the pore clogging thick moisturiser I'm using causes it. Occasionally I'll be very naughty and put steroid cream on it, and this clears it up a treat.

Only problem is, I'm now pregnant. This little pink spot has developed into a cluster of about 5 and isn't going away like it normally does.

Could this be a normal pregnancy thing or should I get it checked out as a possible cancer?

There are a whole range of things between pregnancy weirdness and BCC that it could be. Please go to your GP.

I don't want to frighten you but I had an itchy pink spot that came up in pregnancy and it turned out to be a melanoma. I had a wide excision and all is fine now but I am so glad I had it checked out. The dermatologist thought it was just a keratosis but I insisted on a biopsy so do explain your family's history to the dr. So much better to be safe than sorry. Good luck and I hope it is just a funny skin thing.

You really should visit your doctor.. don't rely on the Internet to diagnose you.

Good luck.. I hope it's nothing serious.

Skin cancer can present as you have described so I would definitely get it checked out. Do mention your family history though because GPs are more used to seeing moles and can be a bit dismissive of what might look like a sore on the skin or 'ringworm'. (Speaking from experience!)

The good thing is it sounds like you haven't had it long so it will be v early days if it turns out to be so and easily dealt with.