Skin Cancer Support Group
If you or a loved one has skin cancer, this is the community to discuss your experience, find support, and meet others going through the same. Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin, which can have many causes, including repeated severe sunburns or long-term exposure to the sun. Skin cancer generally develops in the outermost layer of skin so a tumor is usually...
I am of the opinion that the diagnosing and treatment of skin cancer has reached a stage where more harm than good is done to the patient.
Various professional websites state that skin cancer is the "fastest-growing" cancer, but is that because it is diagnosed more often?
From the Skin Cancer Foundation website:
"Treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers increased by nearly 77 percent between 1992 and 2006."
Notice the word "treatment." I think in previous times, it was left untreated because doctors realized the cure was worse than disease. That is, cutting off a portion of someone's face and leaving them disfigured didn't make sense because the skin cancer MIGHT disfigure them.
What has occurred, and I believe we're on the tip of the iceberg, is human beings walking around disfigured by Mohs surgery and plastic surgery to "cure" a nonfatal nonmetasticing cancer. That is, a cancer that won't kill you or spread but MIGHT disfigure you. The Mohs surgeons and plastic surgeons, in fact, do leave you disfigured. Adnd they get paid to do it by the insurance companies no questions asked.
I think this problem will grow unless people say, hold on, you can't cut off part of my face and leave me disfigured because you THINK it may disfigure me.
People wren't walking around disfigured by skin cancer before, were they? Than why (from the Skin Cancer Foudnation):
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually.
Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
Treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers increased by nearly 77 percent between 1992 and 2006.1
Over the past three decades, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.3
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
Really? Sounds like a money-maker to me, and be damned the consequences to the person. The consequnces from the treatment are VERY real and horribly depressing.
Various professional websites state that skin cancer is the "fastest-growing" cancer, but is that because it is diagnosed more often?
From the Skin Cancer Foundation website:
"Treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers increased by nearly 77 percent between 1992 and 2006."
Notice the word "treatment." I think in previous times, it was left untreated because doctors realized the cure was worse than disease. That is, cutting off a portion of someone's face and leaving them disfigured didn't make sense because the skin cancer MIGHT disfigure them.
What has occurred, and I believe we're on the tip of the iceberg, is human beings walking around disfigured by Mohs surgery and plastic surgery to "cure" a nonfatal nonmetasticing cancer. That is, a cancer that won't kill you or spread but MIGHT disfigure you. The Mohs surgeons and plastic surgeons, in fact, do leave you disfigured. Adnd they get paid to do it by the insurance companies no questions asked.
I think this problem will grow unless people say, hold on, you can't cut off part of my face and leave me disfigured because you THINK it may disfigure me.
People wren't walking around disfigured by skin cancer before, were they? Than why (from the Skin Cancer Foudnation):
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually.
Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
Treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers increased by nearly 77 percent between 1992 and 2006.1
Over the past three decades, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.3
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
Really? Sounds like a money-maker to me, and be damned the consequences to the person. The consequnces from the treatment are VERY real and horribly depressing.
I don't agree with do nothing as I know a lot of people (like my parents) have had a lot of skin cancers on the face. If not treated quickly they can spread & increase in size too. Mum has had a lot of skin cancers, some benign & some the other. She is fortunate with a very expensive cream helping hers decrease.
I had one on nose done recently & postponed it due to other surgery needing to be done. By the time it was done it had grown & had to be cut out & a skin graft done. I have been left with a red bit on end of nose & hopefully it will fade away over time. If not I will start to use some makeup to tone it down & make it less obvious too.
I feel myself lucky that my local Dr paid attention to a sore on my nose & sent me to the local hospital They looked at it & did a biopsy which showed it needed to be cut out.
I am glad the tests & attention are available now, not in past years. Everyone has more of a chance of surviving cancer even if disfigured, at least alive.
Thats my opinion anyway.
When people hear cancer they freak. As you said, "
"Everyone has more of a chance of surviving cancer even if disfigured, at least alive."
I'm not calling you out, I am saying the cancer DOESN'T kill you.
There is more skin cancer because of the ozone,more younger people using tanning beds.
I am thankful that I can get surgery.
I'm also not saying people shouldn't have surgery or a choice to have surgery if they want. If you're happy you had surgery, great. Not everyone is, and I don't think it is always necessary.
Why do you say you would lose half of your face? Do you know or have seen people that happened to? I ask that because I sincerely want to know the truth.
Does BCC ALWAYS eat away tissue? I read on the various "official" websites that it MAY, not that it defintely will.
As I said my parents skin cancers spread. One friend has now had 21 skin cancers removed from on/near face & goes in as soon as they are spotted.
Bcc are very common here which I didn't know till I asked others their advice It was an overwhelming - take care of it & have it removed & keep an eye out for any more always.
Thats my recent experience from from friends too. Skin cancer is very prevalent in Australia.
One is free to chose no treatment or conservative or palliative, I see that all the time, I chose an agressive treatment when I had breast cancer and the same for BCC.
I had a tiny lession and a huge scar, I had Mohs 5 days after my doctor tolled me it was BCC, before the biopsy.
I agree with you Aus Sue. I have seen patients with advanced non operable BCC, people are in pain, very ill.
That seems an extreme example, though. And also an example of not getting something treated. I think if you have a lesion, go get it cut out, but don't cut off the rest of my face where it doesn't show.
I'm talking about the growth in everyday people getting diagnosed with BCC, and the extreme measures taken that disfigure you so the cancer won't disfigure you. It's illogical.
And if you have Moh's, after a certain point you don't have a "choice" to have surgery, b/c a plastic surgeon won't treat you unless all of the BCC is removed.
Why would one do a forehead flap on a 90 year old? That's nonsensical.
Also, deraming, what do you mean by people who left BCC untreated and are ill and in pain? AGain, I'm not talking about people who leave open sores on their face for years. I'm talking about everyday people who go get a small lesion taken care of and walk out with half their face removed. When, in face, the docotrs don't know how or if it will spread.
Guy walks in with a blood on a Qtip, and walks out with his EAR CUT OFF by and HIS JAW TISSURE replaced. Oh, that must be fabulous.
Hard to imagine he was happy about going to see the doctor.
Once again, cure worse than the disease.
Skin cancer is treated to stop the skin cancer from destroying more tissue. BCC skin cancers on the ear are very dangerous skin cancers and can in fact kill someone. People go to the doctor to stop and treat the skin cancer.
BCC skin cancer left untreated will destroy more tissue and can go to the bone and destroy the bone.
Perhaps some BCC can be treated in a less invasive way but it still needs to be treated. MOHS surgery is the gold standard and is the most effective way to treat many types of skin cancer.
I''m not saying people shouldn't get their skn cancer exercised or see a Mohs surgeon, becuase I do. I think getting early treatment is good.
But, it was just said that BCC spreads to the bone (and it can kill you). I don't know where that information comes from, and I would like to know.
From what I've read BCC "only rarely" spreads.
The only statistic I've found is that:
"there have been only about 300 cases reported in total for the world over the last 110 years"
where BCC has mestasisized."
You have a better chance of winning the lottery 10x over, being struck by lightning and eaten by a shark in the same day.
With those odds, is the harm done worth the mecially advised course of action (b/c drs will take the course of action.)
Thus, the drs should tell what the actual consequences are--versus this apparent attitude that skin cancer can kill you or will spread to other parts of your body.
On a personal note, i had skin cancer on my nose. I am permantently disfigured and it left made me suicidial depressed. Was that worth it? No. Not to me. And the doctors should have given me that choice.
Doctors do not perform these surgies on people who cannot handle it--because they know skin cancer is less of threat than surgery.
The consequences should be openly and honestly expressed, and the patient should make the decision.
Untreated, the tumour will destroy skin, muscle, cartilage and bone.
This has been labelled a rodent ulcer due to the area appearing
like it has been eaten away by a rat.
(Page 3 on site below)
http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/200907/200907tomas.pdf
Sometimes large or neglected BCCs are capable of extensive local destruction and invasion [rodent ulcer] gnawing their way through skin, muscle, bone. Fortunately BCC rarely kills people or harms their health as most as small and easily treated by a number of methods. However, as most occur on the face, having facial surgery with subsequent scarring is not to be taken lightly. In some cases, skin cancer removal can be psychologically distressing and can result in physical disfigurement.
http://www.skcin.org/Skin-Cancer/Types/Basal-Cell-Carcinoma-(BCC)/
Basal cell skin cancer almost never spreads. But, if left untreated, it may grow into surrounding areas and nearby tissues and bone. This is most worrisome around the nose, eyes, and ears
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001827/
While basal cell carcinomas usually grow slowly and rarely kill, they can destroy lots of tissue if allowed to grow.
website for last one,
Otherwise, the sites are filled with "may", "could" "might,' and "if left untreated, it could be disfiguring."
Can we agree that skin cancer is not the same as leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostrate cancer,ovarian cancer, or even melonoma, etc.?