3 weeks ago I had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from my cheek. I had it done privately as my GP did not think it looked suspicious and did not want to refer me to dermatology.
The consultant confirmed that it was stage 1, T1 with margins of 2.5mm and that I shouldn’t need any further treatment.
My question is what happens now in terms of follow up? He said he would write to my GP to inform him but is that it? Do I need check ups and how does the private sector work with the NHS?
Hi Julesonabike and a very warm welcome to the online community.
I'm sorry to read that you've recently had a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) removed from your cheek and I hope that the wound is heeling well.
If your SCC was caught at a very early stage then you'll see from this information that usually there is no need for long-term follow-up but that your consultant might want to initially have follow-ups with you.
Most private consultants also work for the NHS so you could ask your consultant to write to your GP asking him to refer you to the private consultant's NHS practice. This is what happened to me when I paid privately for my initial consultation and then the consultant wrote to my GP asking him to refer me to his NHS practice so that I could have the operation on the NHS.
However, your private consultant might not think that you need any follow-ups.
Having had one form of skin cancer it's very important that you are now very careful in the sun and this information gives you lots of advice on how to do that.
Wishing you all the best
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
