Urgent referral - suspected basal cell carcinoma

[Lemonfrost]

Went to the GP today expecting to be told I had a cyst (that has been there for several months) and was utterly shocked to be told he thought it was a BCC. I am now on the Fast Track Referral thing. Is there anyone else about who has experienced similar?

They are very common and, depending on their location, easily treatable.

DH, DN and DA have all had them avd are all perfectly fine. All have been cut out avd they’re all ok now.

Hioe you experience the same

Minor procedure, done in no time.

BCC doesn't always meet the 2WW as it's not considered a fast growing cancer.

My 18yr old has suspected BCC also and is awaiting an appointment with dermatology

Well I also learnt today that the 2 week window doesn't exist anymore - it is the Fast Track Referral to ensure that you get a diagnosis or all clear within 28 days.

Thank you - I have of course done the worst possible thing and gone straight onto worst case scenarios on Google.

It's on my wrist

It's very common, if it is indeed that, and really nothing to worry about, as hard as that might be.

Yes my df (late 70s) had one very recently.
it will get bigger but won’t spread
he had it taken out within a fortnight (on his nose), a fortnight after that there was nothing to see

its no big deal at all except that if you have one you need to be in the look out for more

I’ve been diagnosed with one on my face, I’ve been on the waiting list for 26 weeks to have it removed

I had one on my arm for at least five years, assumed it was some kind of wart, and only had it checked when my GP spotted it whilst doing Covid jabs.

The dermatology team removed it, checked me over and found two others, much newer and smaller, which they whipped out at the same time.

Five years on, I’m fine. No others that I have found, and I now check regularly.

Thank you so much everyone, I will keep you updated

I used to type for a Plastic Surgeon who would often say in his clinic letters that if you’re going to get skin cancer, a BCC is the best one to have (easily treated, doesn’t spread etc)

BCC is one of the 'good' ones to get - and I really don't mean to downplay it as I'm sure it's a big worry - but more to say hopefully it'll get sorted quick and easy. Malignant melanoma is the one you don't want.

A positive side effects is that it'll make you be more aware of your skin and changes now so you should be quicker to respond should anything else come up. Good wishes OP!

I had a BCC on my face that almost grew into my eye but it was easily treated - a bit like going to the dentist.

I was in and out of the outpatient surgery in less than 45 minutes (the procedure itself was about 25). I was a bit worried with it being on my face and needed 8 stiches but no-one can actually see where it was. The lab work confirmed it was a BCC - it has not come back and it's been 9 years.

Thank you. It's going to be a long few weeks.

My sister had one on her cheek - they took it out and shes never had any hassle again. That was 10 years ago.

My mum like you was sent for testing where they did a biopsy and all came back negative. But she had been told even if it was positive that they would just use a cream to get rid of it. They told us they are super common. Hope that helps x

It’s literally nothing to worry about at all. Really common, slow growing and non spreading. Take it off. All done. You could wait ages to take it off and it would be fine.

It does, thank you. I haven't had any itching, bleeding...nothing. It only hurts (momentarily) if it's knocked and it has a small bit of dry skin on the side.

Australian here. BCCs are the one we are happy to get. They’re really nothing to be worried about. It will get bigger so best to have it removed but they’re not life threatening or dangerous and grow slowly.

Squamous cell carcinomas are a step up and they can spread into your lymph nodes if you ignore them for too long. My grandmother died from one of these but she had advanced dementia so it was decided that putting her through surgery was an unnecessary trauma.

And the worst ones are melanomas which do spread and can be fatal (although treatment for these has improved immensely in recent years)

Thank you. Funnily enough the GP specifically asked me if I had ever lived in Australia - although I haven't lived there I spent a week there earlier this year.

My sisters was similar - she initially thought it was a spot but it kept coming back. We just kept telling her to stop picking at it 🙈 They took it out, she spent a few weeks resting up and shes fine now x

Dh has had 8 removed in various places,mostly his face.
when he was diagnosed with the first one we were devastated and fearful,now it’s just another little procedure.
try not to worry, they really are easily solved but it’s overwhelming to start with.

I’m waiting to have one removed on my nose. I’m not particularly worried about it- like others have said, if I had to have some form of cancer, this is the least worrying one. For me it’s more the inconvenience of having to get it removed but I’m grateful to the NHS that it’s being sorted x

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