Time taken to deal with a infiltrative skin cancer

Hi richard66 and a very warm welcome to our corner of the community.

Wow! I don't think I've come across anyone before who's had such a long wait.

If I'm reading your timeline correctly you were first diagnosed with a BCC in 2022, had a consultation with a dermatologist in October 2024, then had a punch biopsy in April 2025, followed by a consultation with a maxillofacial surgeon in November 2025 and you are now waiting to hear when a Mohs surgeon will be available.

I don't think I can add any suggestions to what you've already done to get things moving, ie speak to PALS, but you might find some more suggestions in this Macmillan blog about how to advocate for yourself when speaking to healthcare professionals.

Anne

Thank you for your message this waiting game is driving me crazy at the moment as I used to suffer serveir depression and anxiety and panic attacks but with the help from my mental health counselling I'm handling it but this being messed about by my dermatologist dept at the hospital I'm under is not helping me as I was saying that I saw a maxillofacial surgon back in November he said at that meeting my op would be in January but a week later I got a letter from my local dermatologist dept saying my appointment would be in the near future.

I'm just getting a bit fed up with the hospital as I've never seen a Mohs surgeon nore have they done any scans on it the only thing they did do back in April last year was a punch biopsy then I had to push through PALS  to get my results.

I was told by the dermatologist they don't send letters with results for bcc but then he went on to say I have an primary nodular infiltrative basal cell carcinoma right perichondrium area but they dine nothing about it

I don't think scans are done after a BCC biopsy, well I've certainly never had any, but I could be wrong as mine were removed quite a long time ago.

What area of the body is the right perichondrium area?

It's right next to the right ear on the face I have a infiltrative bcc but that's aggressive type and right perichondrium area is the membrane that covers the cartlige of the inside of the ear 

Hello Richard66 I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and follow up 

I too had an infiltrative nodular bcc in my chin which had been there for a good 20 years. I’d been told it was a cyst!

I was diagnosed by chance January 2025. I saw an nhs dermatologist on 17th March.  No need for a biopsy but would do flap surgery ( not MOHs) June/July. Well I’m still waiting  - the hospital booking office kept putting the date forward last time it will be February 2026.  Luckily I found a plastic surgeon who operated in September - I was fortunate to pay privately for this and I have now recovered. It is really really hard and I got very anxious as it was obviously growing. 

i hope someone on this wonderful forum can help you. Please let us know how you get on. 

I guess the lesion is on your nose or ear perhaps? 

Hi mine is right next to my right ear and membrane that covers the cartlige under the ear but I'm still waiting for it to be removed 

Hi all just an update with my Primary nodula infiltrative basal cell carcinoma right perichondrium area  I made contact with the maxillofacial clinic who is supposed to be doing my surgery back in 20 of January but got no reply so on the 6th of Feb I had an appointment with my gp she sent the maxillofacial clinic secretary an email to see what the update on my operation is going to be then she told me to write to Pals of that hospital on the 7th of February wich I still have not received and contact from them but a week previous I had a txt from that hospital and on the NHS app asking if I still wanted my appointment or procedure doing I ticked yes then I got a electronic reply telling me I've been put on a waiting list but the past few month I've been getting pain in my right jaw bone when I open my mouth