Hi , I have been diagnosed with a basal cell on my forehead which will be cut out in the next couple of months, and also was told that a white spot that looks like a blemish on my cheek looks like a skin cancer ( possible basal cell ) will have to be biopsed which will happen on the same day . I was expecting the forehead to be a skin cancer but was shocked at the blemish on my cheek . Had both for roughly a year now . The one on my forehead started off like a teeny scratch and now is a tumour . I have been feeling very drained for a while now and more so since finding this out last week and I guess I am looking for reassurance as not experienced this before . It alternates between a bit sore and realy itchy but the one on my cheek is nothing like that . I know it’s treatable but don’t know what to expect with the surgery or biopsy etc .
Hi and welcome to the online community
I'm sorry to hear that you have a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on your forehead and possibly another one on your cheek. Although I haven't had operations to remove these from my face I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you and let you know that there are plenty of people in this group who have had the operations that you're currently waiting for. Hopefully, they'll be along shortly to tell you about their experiences.
As you know BCCs are very slow growing and rarely spread to other areas of your body. For most people simple surgery is all that is required to remove them. Both your operation to remove the BCC and your biopsy will be done under local anaesthetic. The one on your forehead will be cut out, along with some clear skin around it, and the wound will be closed with stitches. Sometimes a skin graft or flap is needed but your surgeon should be able to tell you in advance if you need this.
Both the BCC that's removed from your forehead and your biopsy will be sent off to the path labs to check that it's all been removed, in the case of your forehead, and to see if it's a BCC, for the one on your cheek.
Ask when you have the surgery how long the wait for results is currently and how they'll be communicated to you. The length of time it can take to get your results back can vary between 2-8 weeks or longer, depending mainly on how busy the path labs are. Most hospitals have a rule that they will not give results out over the phone but some will send a letter whilst others will give you an appointment at a clinic.
Let us know how you get on and, if you have any questions, please ask away.
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