Joining the Aldara group - facial BCC

Thank you. You may not react like me - apparently my experience, though not unknown, was quite severe and extreme. Stay positive! However I think you are wise to prepare for the fact that you may need time off. See how it goes. 

Good luck, fingers crossed it will work for both. I live in UK but the OCT and the reflectance Confocal microscopy are not everywhere and to my shame I just found out about them. I found a clinic in London that uses them. The OCT is not even new, it has been around since 1997 and the confocal microscopy for use in dermatology has been around for a while as well, I can see it's been approved for use in USA since 2016.

Yet little people know about them, and go along to have biopsies.  So unfair! The resolution is to the histological level, so it will practically replace the old biopsy!  Costs are not more than few hundred pounds to be seen and also followed up...

Hi Shanta, I started to develop a local reaction by the end of week one. My dermatologist told me week 3 is usually the worst and he was correct for me. It didn’t really get any worse from then. In my honest opinion I think you may need some  time off if only for cosmetic reasons, although apparently you can get flesh coloured micropore tape from amazon which a lot of people rate, I didn’t need it as it was on my arm and easy to hide BUT for me it looked worse than it was. I have some pics of my arm but don’t know if I can post them on here. I wish you all the very best and hope all goes well for you. Ask any questions at any time no problem I know how it feels. Take care too x

Shanta,

Day 3 for me.  This morning the area is definitely redder and larger than the original red area. I'm kind of relieved to see it start working.

To describe my BC, it is just a small flat red area (3mm x 4mm), that occasionally will develop tiny blisters that go away and sometimes all the redness goes away too and the skin looks normal but then it all comes back.

When I applied the cream last night my whole face felt funny (kind of tingling).  I may have imagined it and once I got distracted doing something else I didn't notice it.  

To apply it I take a very thin needle and sterilize it with alcohol.  I then pierce the envelope and a tiny bit (pinhead size) will ooze out which I apply with my fingertip.  

I know you aren't supposed to do this, but I put a tiny piece of tape over the pinhole in the envelope and put the envelope in a plastic bag. The next night I make a pinhole in a different part of the envelope and use that cream.  I have done this for 3 nights now.  I might start on a new envelope tonight although there is enough in one envelope to probably last me a couple weeks based on the amount I am using.

I make a point to set my alarm for 8 hours after I apply the cream and wash it off with soap and water and then put a tiny bit of vaseline on it. I am also changing my pillow cases every night.

Hi Becca,

It definitely works for you, you started to react. I think it's similar with a post vaccine reaction, where the immune response showed it worked. 

If your area grows, what are you going to do? Are you going to go to work with a plaster on the nose to protect it, or stay at home. I don't know what to do because I have my diary booked with things for the next 2 weeks at least and have to go out of the house/into work, although I have planned ahead for the possibility I may not be able to go, and have asked to work from home/or may need sick leave. No one knows how it will respond so it is difficult to plan around it. 

I was given by the GP only 12 sachets, while I should have had 30 for the whole treatment. I saw somewhere in one of the product leaflets they advise to avoid re- use after it's opened. 

I think the GP's here try to cut costs and save (although the product is cheap, it would be 50 £ for 12 sachets) so they expect me to re- use from the same sachet. I don't have any intention to do that. I will use one sachet at a time as per prospect and will reorder. I have paid a lot of money for NHS and also private insurance and so there has to be a fair return. 

I am due to start tomorrow...Mine is a slightly raised 3/3 mm close to the nose bridge. 

Shanti,

Day 4.  Not a whole lot of difference since yesterday.  It's just noticeably red... but not unsightly and the red area has not increased since yesterday.  Frankly based on what I have read online, I expected more of a reaction by now, although some have said it gets much worse in subsequent weeks.  It seems everyone reacts differently.

I am retired so I don't have to go out and face the public, however I am doing this treatment through the Thanksgiving/Christmas season and have lots of social/family events to attend and hope I don't look hideous.  I am really more concerned about developing the systemic effects.  I am trying get a lot of sleep, eat well and so far I am not drinking any alcohol in hopes I don't get the flu symptoms.

Someone wrote on here about getting some micropore bandages from Amazon to cover it.  I might look into that, but everything I have read says not to cover it.  I see my dermatologist in 10 days so I will ask her about that.

I used a new envelope last night.  I got a prescription for 24, cost about $90 after insurance.  I am also going to ask my Dr. about using an envelope for more than one application.

I am anxious to hear how your experience goes.  I was really scared the first night that I would have some immediate terrible reaction, but feel a bit calmer about that now.

Good luck!

Hi Becca,

Thank you for updating, this is reassuring. It looks like it went well for you so far. Everyone's reaction is personal,  looking at all the information online not everyone's reaction needs to be red angry and scary. Ours are small few mm lesions so I hope the reaction would be more localized. 

Day 1 10 pm: I applied Aldara thin layer 1 cm around my 3 mm Bcc...nothing happened, I checked every few minutes:)

The only thing that happened to me is the psychological reaction with increasing worry an regret I haven't looked after my skin before this.  Should've avoided sun like the plague as I don't tan well. I have also went through all the information available on the internet and all the research done on the topic and I find it frustrating. The available treatment is what it is, either topical or surgical or both,  while the research on skin cancer is so advanced, the causes well understood (sun damage DNA changes in the skin stem cells with their cellular pathways and also the protective role of the DNA repair enzymes), and yet no new approved FDA treatments to repair that damage.  It's like we treat the effect when we should try and treat the cause.

I used the as advised in the leaflet, mine says dispose of the open sachet and do not reuse later, open one new each time (Aldara produced by Meda Sweden). So I did. I'm too scared to do otherwise. The cream is white and has an oily texture. 

In the leaflet it says do not cover. I guess you should only cover to protect from infection if you develop problems and need to go out to see GP for advice anyway. I bought plasters just in case of emergency...

Good luck, hope it goes well and easy !

Shanta,

How did the first night/day application go for you?

Last night was my 5th application.  Still just redness.  I am half relieved I haven't had a severe reaction and half worried that my reaction is too mild.  I do see people have posted that things didn't really get going till the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th week.

I now have two days off.

Hi Becca, 

1st night went well. No reaction at all, apart from slightly itchy skin. Like you, I worry I'm either not going to react, or if I do it will be severe. The reaction, from what I gathered may start from day 5, up to weeks 2-3 of treatment...

I am on the 5/7 regime so now, I even if I started Friday I will have 2 days off over weekend, and due to start again Monday.

I am feeling fine, no other side effects. 

I check that bump with a ruler to see if any signs of shrinking. So far, none. It has been 3/3 mm forever. It noticed however changes in colour regardless of Aldara application, it varies from skin colour to red (like a mosquito bite), I don't understand why. 

Have a nice weekend, speak next week, and good luck !

Hi Shanta,

Week 2.  Not a whole lot to report.  Still some redness and Sunday a very light scab formed over part of the red area.  Some itching.  Nothing else.  I would categorize this as a mild reaction and that scares me because everything I read online says a robust reaction gets better clearance of the lesion.

I won't post any more reports this week unless there is a significant change.  I see my dermatologist a week from today for a progress visit and I will let you know how that goes.

Please let me know how you are doing.

Becky