SCC on Temple of forehead

Hi Kassy

Not sure I can answer all your questions fully, but I also had an SCC removed. Mine was 8mm, on my cheek and also came back from the lab as stage 1 and well differentiated. I had had mine for about 6 months - most of that time it was really tiny but grew rapidly in the few weeks before I had it removed. Like you, I went private as I wasn’t prepared to wait. When you have your first check up, the doctor will feel your nearest lymph nodes but it is very rare for a well differentiated SCC smaller than 2cm to spread. I think the margin they are looking for is 4mm so good news that yours is more than that (I forgot to ask what size my margins were). Any cancer is always reviewed by a MDT as a matter of routine (not sure if BCCs are) and my consultant said the same thing - that it was straightforward and they would just recommend check ups.

My operation was in July, my first check up in September and I go back again in March. If everything is ok the consultant will discharge me at that point.

If you want a look at my recovery, cosmetically speaking, I have put some links to my Instagram in my profile.

Hope that is useful

Jules 

Hi Jules, many thanks for the response. Haven’t had chance to look at your profile pics yet but I will. I’m a male in 50’s so the scar side of things was never really an issue for me just wanted to get it removed. The scar is still covered at moment but I expect it will be about 4 cm in length, it is just on hairline above right eye. Interesting you had it for 6 months before it started to increase in size, mine went from nothing to 10-12 mm in about 6 weeks. Annoyingly the NHS appointment came through for 10 days after my private appointment, but don’t regret it as those 10 days could have been critical. Where are the nearest lymph nodes, in your neck? Who mentioned the less than 2cm theory unlikely to spread as that sounds promising for me. Anyway thanks for the reply.

Keith

Hi Keith

Mine just looked like a very small spot for ages. If mine had been in my hairline like yours, I think I might not even have noticed it until it started to grow - with a similar time scale to yours. Looking at pics of me 4 months before having my surgery and you can’t see anything at all. The 2cm size thing is one of the features that they use for staging. Less than 2cm with no high risk features such as poorly differentiated borders or perineural invasion and it is classed as stage 1. 95-98% of SCCs are completely cured with excision if caught at an early stage. 
The nearest lymph nodes are in the neck. My consultant stood behind me and had a good feel all over the sides of my neck.
Best wishes with your recovery 

Jules 

Hi, thanks for reply. That all sounds very promising, I feel specialists sometimes are reluctant to give you all the positives points in case it’s bad news. So come March if your all clear you will be discharged, does that mean you can pretty much guarantee no future problems from that area, so how long would that be after surgery, 12 months? I understand though that anyone who has had an SCC before is likely to get same, at lest we will know what to look out for really early.

Been told I need further surgery as the Lab have said it was not a deep enough margin. So, the original wound has healed nicely and now got to go through it all over again. Feel a bit gutted but it is for the best and merely precautionary to ensure enough deep margin is gained. Oh well waiting for appointment will update when I hear anything.

Hi Kassy64

How are you and do you have a date yet for your excision?

x

Hi Latchbrook, thanks for asking. I had the 2nd excision surgery on the 9th of February (NHS). All went well just really annoying all had to be opened up again, stitches are already out and I’m healing up again. The wound is longer this time as they has to dig deeper to get bigger margin, it’s about 3 inches long, will probably take tape off tomorrow or Tuesday. Everyone seems hopeful this will be it for the surgery as enough margins will have been taken, and after that I will just need regular checks to make sure nothing has spread. All the best and thanks for the contact. Keith

Kassy64

Hi Keith

I was just looking through the posts and realised that we hadn't heard from you after your second excision surgery. I'm hoping that everything went well and they managed to get enough of a margin this time.

Best wishes x

Sorry it’s taken. While to reply. I received confirmation that the 2nd surgery was good and no cancerous areas were detected in the 2nd sample removed surgically. It’s all healed nicely and barely noticeable, I have to self check neck area every now and again and have appointment booked for October. Now getting used to wearing hats, using sunscreen etc. Hope all is well with you. Thanks

Great news Kassy64

I have an appointment in 3 weeks time to have a BCC removed from my chest and a mole from my back. My consultant thinks the mole may have changed since the last time she examined me so, to use their favourite phrase, because of my history she wants to remove it to be on the safe side.

x