Basal cell

[bccworries]

So on and off for several years I've had a sore on my hand - dry, flaky, pitted - started off as quite scabby from memory and is not skin coloured and like a volcano.
I've mentioned it several times to the GP either as part of an appointment or alone but always been told not to worry.
It's now been referred after at least five years to dermatology and they've diagnosed basal cell via photo with an appointment in late December.
Having read up I'm really worried as it is usually benign but can spread to lymph nodes and into tissue. In addition what if it's more sinister when they see it?
Really nervous about the whole thing now.

I think Basal Cell spreading is very rare? My DM had one on her hand for a similar length of time before she'd bloody listen seek help. It was removed earlier this year without any problems

I had one on my nose, I understand it's really common and very unusual that it spreads. My dad's has had a couple removed too, again no spreading to any other part of the body.

Certainly the whole procedure and analysis of the removed tissue seemed very routine and it all happened very quickly. So hopefully you'll get answers asap.

I had one on my upper arm for years that never really bothered me, until it did. One day it just started getting red and crusty. It took a couple visits to the GP before any referral to the derm was sorted. They didn't think it was anything dodgy at first. Dermatology removed it straight away and later decided it was a basal cell carcinoma through pathology. But good news, all was well and no further spreading.

I do have a rather large scar for such a small mole, however, but they were thorough.

DH had one for ages on the top of his ear. Eventually he had it looked at and they removed it. BCC are not generally known to spread. DH made a full recovery and you can’t really see where it was.

Oh gosh thank you so much. Sometimes hearing other people have left it/been left is really helpful. I'm just quite stressed as i hate the idea of it slowly eating away at my skin

Hey! I’m 28 & around this time last year when I was heavily pregnant a small (4mm) clear tiny spot beside my nose/cheek bled & as my mother had had one (which looked entirely diff) on her arm I immediately freaked & went to doctors and then a skin check clinic and the man working there diagnosed BCC. For a good month or so I was freaking out imagining all worst possibilities. Got it sent for a biopsy a few months later & then surgery and you can hardly see the scar now only 4 months after my last cut & stitches. I had this spot at least 5 years on my face. It only took 2mm cut around the lesion for it to be clear margin. You’ll be fine. I think it’s more so if it’s left for something like 30 years I read before. Best of luck x

Hi - thank you I'm really grateful for the moral support. It's so visible it just feels quite stressful

i agree OP it’s very tough and easy for me to say now but that’s why I promise you’ll look back & think wow that was alot easier than it seemed :) thoughts of anything is always worse x

I had one removed from my head many years ago it had been there a long time before I realised it was a problem, it hadn't spread the same with my DH who had one on his back. They are very common and are very slow growing I don't think they tend to spread to other organs. It's not like a melanoma.

DH had one on his chest that the GP misdiagnosed as a fungal infection. When he finally saw a GP with a clue and it was excised it took 42 stitches to close the wound. Even with one as huge as that which had been growing for years, there was no spread. He's had about a dozen excised over the last few years and no spread.

I had a a small area of BCC on my chest for a couple of years (it was misdiagnosed as seborrheic keratosis, had it frozen off, it came back 🙄). Eventually got diagnosed as BCC by a competent dermatologist. I was worried about the length of time it had gone undiagnosed but the dermatologist said that it was highly likely I would die of old age before BCC. Had it cut out by a plastic surgeon, all margins clear, no problems 6 years on. You'll be fine.

Thank you for your positive stories, any believe the number of stitches for the dh 😲 i am keen to get shot of it now it's finally been assessed and diagnosed. Feels like a long way away!

My dad & one of his sisters (both red head living in very sunny place) have had loads of these. Not turned malignant yet.

You’ll be just fine! My husband had one on his nose for at least 3 years, the spot kept bleeding when he toweled off after showering, but he decided ‘it’s just an irritated pore’. 🙄 I finally succeeded at nagging him to the derm and, surprise, it was a BCC, but no spread at all.

Husband elected to have radiation treatment instead of MOHS and, well over a year later, you cannot really tell he ever had it except the area is a bit lighter than the surrounding skin.

My husband had a large one cut out from his back earlier this year. I'd been nagging him for 8 years (had to enlist his mum to join the nagging and he finally went to GP). It was so large it couldn't be stitched, but hadn't moved elsewhere/grown inwards.

I had two, one for about 3 or 4 years that started going lumpy, I had it cut out, it was on my leg. The other which is like a dry scaly patch and been there almost as long is a superficial BCC and I am using Efodix cream on it at the moment. You will be fine OP. These both started before Covid.

Im surprised you've had a diagnosis just from a photo. When I had mine diagnosed, they would not confirm the diagnosis until after I’d had it removed and it had been sent to the lab for testing. My dermatologist said it was probably BCC, but that she could only confirm it after removal.

Blimey, I had 14 stitches in my thigh and thought that was a lot.

Just recovering from one on my forehead. 7 stitches, quite a procedure but it's all gone now, and no spread. NHS referral time was 2 years so I went private.

It's a service via the nhs dermatology - an app, photos, history, previous treatment attempts etc - my family have had lots of skin cancers (mainly melanoma and squamous) but not this so I have no reference point.
Thank you for generously sharing stories which are positive though.

How did it go for you OP? I'm waiting for a diagnosis & worried sick. A red head living in a tropical country :(

I had it removed in December - quite painful but all gone and I'm left with a scar that looks like a shiny burn. I keep waiting for some sign off etc but nothing.

I currently have a bcc on my face ,I got referred last September as my biopsy was positive, I'm awaiting my hospital appointment with the plastic surgeon as it's close to my eye/nose
The dermatologist did reassure me that they rarely spread so try not to worry

Hi wyse, I know it’s an old thread, could I ask, if you remember, was it painful after? I just had one on my forehead removed too, it was only today so early days but I’m finding it really painful. Pain relief limited as eight months pregnant. Paracetamol not helping. Thanks for any info!

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