Skin cancer misdiagnosis?

[musiclover2025]

Hi all,

My mum had a growth on her face and dermatology took a special high definition photo and they said it was a seborrheic keratosis (Seb k) which needs no further treatment as it's just a harmless wart. Problem is they never did a biopsy they just looked at the photo.

Fast forward a few months of it scabbing up and falling off etc. and it's now looking like skin cancer-squamous cell carcinoma. I'm pretty angry as it seems it wasn't a seb k at all it was precancerous cells which have now changed into cancer. Now she's looking at surgery and maybe a skin graft. And of course there is the worry about the cancer spreading. I don't really know what to think or if I should be angry about this. But I think precancerous cells can be easily treated before they ever have a chance to turn into cancer? So I'm really upset at the misdiagnosis. I just wish I had pushed for a biopsy last year instead of just taking their word for it. She's currently on the waiting list for surgery. Just a warning to others I guess. Also would love some positive SCC stories! Google seems to have quite conflicting info on how much of a risk it is and I don't really know what to think. Many thanks.

Sorry this has happened to your DM, OP.

My DGM had a SCC removed at the age of 88 (maybe 10yrs ago?), I hadn’t seen her for a while (only spoken on the phone), pointed out that it had grown to my DM on the Weds evening, seen by her GP on the Fri, it was removed the following Tues.

I think she had 1-2 weeks of radiation therapy, a follow up at 6months. I remember there was an option to have more invasive surgery that would have left more of a scar but less likely to require radiation, but my DGM was a rather vain (but lovely!) woman and refused that one.

No further checks as her health declined in a totally way, but she lived until 93 with no other cancers found.

ETA: she had had the mark for years and I’d be suspicious of a BCC but was told it had been checked and was fine- then it randomly grew!

Has she actually had a biopsy? If not, then she doesn’t know what it really is. If her consultant believed it was SCC, she should be on the 2 week cancer pathway. I’ve had a couple of what turned out to be BCCs removed - no biopsy, straight to full removal within 2 weeks. If she’s on a waiting list, it’s likely not as urgent as it sounds.

My elderly relative had an SCC. Had a period of painless treatment on it. It never spread and they died around 5 years later of a completely unrelated issue.

It sounds as if she hasn't been diagnosed yet? Dermatologists generally can identify what needs biopsy and what doesn't by looking through their scopes. They see then every day. No need to panic.

All the best to you all.

OP SCC doesn't usually spread to other parts of the body, even if left in situ for a while

My dad had one on his arm that was initially diagnosed as a fungal infection; it sat there for the best part of a year before he got it removed. That was a couple of years ago and he has had no ill effects.

I’m in Australia where most of us my age (several decades on) have skin cancers sliced and fixed on a regular basis. I’ve had many BCC and SCC cut out (and tested for clear margins) and ones that couldn’t be cut out that were successfully treated otherwise. Don’t know anyone my age, who is white, and has grown up here with decades of sun damage that isn’t riddled, but most of us muddle along. Have known a fair few people who have died also, but that’s from melanoma, not BCC/SCC.

Yes she had one a few days ago. Although the consultant was pretty sure it's a SCC and says they don't actually need to do a biopsy as they'll just remove it anyway but since we were there she had one. She did have to wait a few weeks for that appointment though. I believe she's been put down now under the 2 week pathway for removal. Then if biopsy happens to come back as a BCC (unlikely) will get put back to 3-4 months I think.

Thanks for the replies they've been very helpful!

Update-the growth turned out to be benign after all! She had it removed and didn't need to go through the two-part surgery where they recheck it a week later which also might've needed a skin graft as they knew it was most likely benign by that point. All turned out ok and is healing well with no further treatment necessary. Looks like they were right in the first place. Although since that diagnosis two doctors thought it looked like squamous cell carcinoma so it really seemed like it was cancer at that point. It turned out to be either a seb-k or a squamous cell papilloma-they didn't say exactly just that it was benign. I'm glad the worry is now over and the original diagnosis was correct.