Hi, I am 56yo male, have been undergoing regular screening for pancreatic cancer for several years due to family deaths. All clear at last endoscopy but I had a lump form on leg quite a while ago (can't really remember if 6 or 9 months or more). It was only a tiny red spot for a long time but then I noticed it growing and one month ago I thought I should get it checked. Skin clinic confirmed it is cancer and I now have face to face booked in 10 days. Was quite calm on day 1 but gradually starting to worry more and more. In the last 4 weeks it has grown from about 8mm to 13mm. I dont know if that is standard? If it carries on at this rate, it will be over 20mm by the time I get surgery. Pretty certain from all i have read that it is SCC. Am I worrying unnecessarily? Someone please tell me to stop worrying and just wait until I know more. Which i know is the sensible thing to do but easier said than done. My mum died at 63 with pancreatic and her brother when he was 39. Seems a family gene
Hi Rower and a very warm welcome to our corner of the online community.
It's natural to worry when you find something wrong with your skin but, although you've been told it's cancer, until it's removed and biopsied it's impossible to tell what type of skin cancer it might be.
If it is SCC then it might help you to know that it's the second most common skin cancer in the UK and is a low risk skin cancer that can usually be easily cured with simple surgery.
I'm not sure from your post if your appointment in 10 days time is your first meeting with a dermatologist to decide on treatment or if it's to have surgery to remove and biopsy the lesion. Whichever it is, my way of coping while waiting is to try and spend my time doing things that I enjoy to stop my mind from wandering on to the 'what ifs'.
Do let me know how you get on
Anne
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
You are right Rower that it's definitely easier said than done!
At this first appointment the consultant will probably examine the lesion using a dermatoscope. This basically a powerful hand held magnifying glass which gives them the ability to see the lesion very close up.
The consultant may decide that it's one of many different non-cancerous 'things' that appear on our skin from time to time and that nothing needs doing, or they may photograph it and ask you to come back in so many weeks to see if it has changed or they may decide to remove it. Occasionally the removal will take place there and then under local anaesthetic but it's more normal to go back at a later date to have it removed.
Wishing you all the best
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
