Basal cell carcinoma?

[Verbena17]

Hi,
So this appeared on my DC’s inside of thigh a month ago. He is 18 so I realise it’s much less common in teens, however, there is research linked to low vitamin D levels (which he has) & BCC.

It has grown in size during that time. It hasn’t healed in that time. The skin is slightly scaly but barely feel raised.
It doesn’t itch at all and he hasn’t touched it at all.
He has no eczema. This is the only patch on his entire body.

He thinks it looks like a flat, basal cell cancer growth.
I think it looks fungal but maybe not ringworm. There’s no red line around it and it’s not typically circular.

Any ideas?

Looks fungal to me so I'd go down that route first

Thanks for your reply - yes, I’ve got some Daktarin cream a doctor recommended but they’ve not actually seen it yet.
would you get just one area of fungal growth?

Looks fungal. See the GP

Yes very common to have one area only of fungal growth

We have an appointment booked for this week but after an appointment yesterday about something else, me asking the Gp to have a quick look and the Gp saying they have people waiting to see so couldn’t do it then, they didn’t look. DS is autistic and it’s a nightmare getting him there at all and now, because of the highly stressed situation yesterday (for him), he’s refusing to go back.

Ah ok that’s good - well I’ll see what the daktarin cream does for 7 days if he still won’t go tomorrow.

Op I would start using the cream straight away
If it is fungal you usually see a vast improvement within 24 hours

Ok fab - will do as soon it gets here today.

If however you look at this picture from a website showing basal cell carcinomas, you can see why he’s worried. One look at this photo and you might think something fungal but it’s actually a BCC.

The image of the BCC you posted though, shows ulceration and a raised border to the lesion, with clear delineation.
Your son's lesion doesn't have those characteristics.

Go and show the GP if you're worried.

It doesn't really look anything like that photo or similar ones of Bcc.

Have you been to a pharmacist yet? They would be quicker than the GP and could offer an opinion on if it's fungal. If it is, you need to treat far beyond the margins otherwise it will come back. I find nizoral shampoo used as a body wash and left on for 10 minutes, for a 10 day period, works well.

BCC take decades to develop so he would be incredibly unlucky at 18! Whereas it's a typical age for a fungal infection. Thigh is not typical location for BCC but is associated with fungal infections (sweaty)

There are 3 arrows in this image. What are they highlighting? Are these also visible in your son's rash?

We went to the GP today.
She said to try the daktarin we already started for 7 days and then see how it is. She thinks fungal is likely. He does have a fairly high sugar diet due to his eating disorder but if he doesn’t eat he’ll die. I realise sugar fuels fungal infections.

Thanks for the replies - I’ll see how it goes.

@PosterBoy they are highlighting the little open scab/burst blister type things I think. We’ll monitor it and see how it goes.

interestingly, research shows people with low vitamin d can be more prone to BCC and because of his eating disorder and rarely going outside other than to get in the car for the last few years, he’s had low vitamin D for a number of years, although he takes supplements now.

It does also say that whilst rare, BCCs can form in younger people in late teens and 20’s.

This is actually more like his I would say.

but fingers crossed it’s fungal 🤞

Hi OP, long time health anxiety sufferer here with a particular anxiety about skin cancer 🙃

If it's BCC, it's going to be very slow growing and unlikely to spread. So, use the fungal cream and put any worries of BCC out of your mind for now. Just wait and see what happens.

As a layman I don't think it looks like BCC, but that's a route to go down with your GP if the fungal cream doesn't help

FWIW I get patches of eczema called discoid eczema which look very similar to your son's. I tend to get multiple at the same time, but sometimes I do just get one. Just something to mention along with your BCC concern if the fungal cream doesn't help. Steroid cream always clears my eczema up.

Thanks - yes that’s what we’re doing. DS isn’t worried really and nor am I.
I’ve had life long eczema and know that it doesn’t seem like discoid or any other type of eczema really. His skin is never dry - in fact it’s super oily and he’s on acne treatment.

He put a dab of my betnovate steroid ointment on it the night before last and for me, that would have noticeably faded mine by morning - his was exactly the same.

Anyway - yes, our plan is to query BCC (probably down the private route) if the daktarin doesn’t work.

Ask the GP for a phone consultation and they can send your ds a link to upload a photo. That’s what I did and was referred to dermatology, had an appointment there within 2 weeks, had it removed 2 weeks later. Tested +ve for BCC.

@Soontobe60 he went to the GP today and showed her. We’ve got photos to compare to see if it’s altered by next week.
Glad you got your’s diagnosed so fast and sorted.

This is on the actual photo of a BCC (not the posters son.) The right hand arrow shows ulceration, the top one a demarcated border. The third one shows the other sign of a BCC which is a black/blue pigmented spot.

The OP has found it as it's a good example of when you think something isn't sinister when it is.

IRL bcc look nothing like the images you’re using op & he’s too young.

If you hear hooves look for horses not zebras.

However, BCC can be really dangerous and if you do have a spot on your skin that either ulcerates, grows or is raised, you should always go to your GP.

They often look like this

It's easily treated, if you get it early.

Literally the last image posted by me is of a Superficial BCC. And it looks not dissimilar to my son’s mark.

He has been using anti-fungal cream since Wednesday night and there’s been no change. Daktarin usually makes a noticeable difference in a couple of days.

There is info online which states young people can have BCC and that BCC’s in teens is getting more common.
I’m not trying to infer he definitely has it but surely when GP’s literally beg you to get dodgy looking skin marks/growths/moles checked out, why wouldn’t we look at all possibilities. 🤔