Skin Cancer Surgery

Question: Anyone had skin cancer surgery? I see so many people sitting under the sun and baking their skin. I wonder if they spent some time at a doctor watching people get surgery for a skin cancer they would spend so much time outdoors. Have you been checked for skin cancer and have you ever had surgery for skin cancer?

Answer: You bring up a good point. Unfortunately, some people just don't realize the potential severity of skin cancer. I know two women who have had skin cancer removal surgery and each handled the scare differently. One woman decided that it was time to bust out the sunblock and gardening hat; she stays out of the sun as much as possible now. The other woman thought that the doctor was able to get rid of the cancer pretty easily. She stayed out of the sun for one summer, but now she's back in the tanning salon and hanging out at the river all weekend with no sunblock. I try to get minimal amounts of sun because I know that there are benefits to limited sun exposure, but I do my best to wear sunscreen anytime I'll be outside for more than just a couple of minutes.

Question: When do you say "enough" to skin cancer surgery? My husband of 41 years, now 84, has had repeated surgeries to remove squamous cell cancers and has had several pre-cancer sites frozen. When his last surgery was due he didn't want to go. Let me add here that he suffered a stroke more than 5 years ago and is stuck in a wheelchair. Since he can no longer speak very well, make calls or anything else other than feed himself and do some small chores, I make most of the major decisions regarding his health care. I do have his medical POA. I do talk to him about everything and I ask the doctors to address him so he can at least say yes or no about his care. Additionally, he was treated for prostate cancer about 7 years ago, but his PSA is climbing again after we thought he was cured. So overall, I guess I want help deciding when "enough is enough". He doesn't want to have more surgeries - they are painful, especially as the anesthetic wears off. Do I let HIM decide to stop treatment and probably have it metastasise elsewhere which would lead to other cancers and, of course, more suffering, harsh treatments and probably death. I'm at my wit's end. I have a cat dying of cancer, but I can euthanize her when she is no longer comfortable. That's not a choice here. I love him very much and he is actually pretty active and very mentally alert, so it's not a question of "do I pull the plug on a dying man?" Any input is welcome. Thanks in advance.

Answer: I've had cancer removed from my nose and back first freezing didn't work then surgery and plastic surgery, neither experience being very plesant. If your husband is alert let him decide, spend the rest of his life enduring medical procedures, or let him live out what's left with you. Unfortunately it sounds like the cancer is already metasising through-out his body.

Question: An approach to skin cancer treatment would involve surgery in addition to what? Possible answers: A. Chemotherapy. B. Tropical corticosteroids. C. Oral antibiotics. D. Anti-melanin medications.

Answer: just went through this back in may.had a mole on my forehead which was simply cut off.the next step was mohs treatment.which means they keep digging/cutting till the cancer cells are no longer visible under the microscope as the doc keeps slicing.the return rate is scary.I went on the net and researched other alternatives.the best I found was bec5 curaderm made in Australia,this a cream that you use on the sore.my problem was gone in 4 wks and I did not have to endure some doc digging into my forehead.no plastic surgery to repair the hole .you can buy bec5 curaderm at http://antiaging-systems.com the cost is $139.90 .it is enough to treat a large mole type growth.by the way it is not available in the USA,thank the dermatologists and the fda.the supplier is in england and reliable.

Question: What type of skin cancer does Mohs Micrographic surgery cover? I want some information on this type of cancer.? I already know about the surgery part. Thanks.

Answer: It is the recommended method for stage 1, 2 Melanoma where large margins would be damaging or unsightly

Question: My cat has skin cancer on his nose. Has anyone had this surgery done? My 14 year old cat was recently diagnosed with skin cancer of the nose (squamis cell). So far the cancer has not spread past the nose and overall he is completely healthy. The vet wants to do surgery to remove his nose which is an extremely expensive and complex surgery. Has anyone had a cat go through this surgery? Was it successful? How far along was the cancer?

Answer: I have been on the Yahoo group: feline-cancer and have not read any posts about this particular cancer or the surgery. You should at least join the group by going to www.yahoogroups.com and requesting membership (it may take 24 hours). They have 1400 members, not all currently active of course, and there may be something in their archives of post related to your cat's cancer. Good luck and I hope you can find some information there and get some support if you decide to go through with the surgery.

Question: Is there any way a dog can overcome skin cancer without any surgery?Is it possible the doctor made a mistake? My 13 year old Shiatsu was diagnosed with skin cancer after I noticed a really large, bleeding bump behind his ear. I took him to the doctor and they did a lab report and told me it was cancer and it would be too risky for surgery and if they did do surgery they would have to remove his ear and he would be in pain. The doctor also told me he only has 1-2 months max to live. She gave me antibiotics for his infection on the lump since he had scratched a lot and caused it to bleed. She also gave me other antibiotics[Atopia] since he has a couple non-cancer benign cysts on his back and his skin is usually itchy. The thing that's making me think that they made a mistake is that it's been 1 month and the doctor said that he would only get worst each day. He was only really sleepy for a couple days and just beinghesitantt to eat during the time I gave him the antibiotics for his infection on his ear. But, after I stopped giving it to him because Iran out he slowly started getting better. Now he's as energetic as he was before he was diagnosed and he has a very good appetite. Is there anyway that the doctor could have made a mistake? Has anyone had a similar situation?

Answer: My Dobermann Boris was four years old at the time of diagnosis {aggressive skin cancer}, the proposed treatment was major surgery & four sessions of carboplatin {chemotherapy} wouldn't be gruelling, the average survival time was 6 ~ 12 months of good health, so I opted for treatment.....with treatment he lived an additional 3.5 years {& he lived life to the full). At what point did I make the decision to have him put to sleep? When he developed multiple new tumours {not related to the original cancer} near many of his major organs, was rapidly losing weight & had been diagnosed with DCM, I knew that there was no quality time left for him. At that point he was put to sleep. I appreciated every extra day that the treatment afforded & would not hesitate to opt for treatment again, *if* it was in my dog's best interest. I now have every lump removed sent for analysis & question/research/get a second opinion if I am not satisfied/have doubts. Whatever decision you make, I'm sure you are guided by what is in your dog's best interest. Treatment isn't always the best option for a dog diagnosed with cancer, but if you can prolong life in a way that's in the dog's best interest, as was the case with Boris, it can be very rewarding. Good luck with your dog.

Question: Has anyone ever had surgery called a skin flap for a skin cancer? Is anyone familiar with a skin flap, which is surgery for a skin cancer (in my case on the nose)? About 6 years ago I had to have a skin graft on my nose for a skin cancer, however 8 months ago I had a recurrence and then instead of another skin graft, I had a surgery called a skin flap. It was not a pleasant thing to go through at all although it seems to healing nicely, but taking a very long time! It's been 8 months and I still have a bit of swelling on the one side of my nose. Does anyone know how long the total healing process takes?

Answer: If your biopsy results show that your skin cancer was not completely removed, or was removed with a safety margin that is too small, you will be asked to go into hospital for an operation called wide local excision. This means taking away the remains of the skin cancer plus a safety margin of normal skin. Sometimes, a large area of skin has to be removed. If this is the case you may need a skin graft to repair the area. Skin grafting If you have had a large area of skin removed, you will need to have the area repaired. This can be done with skin grafting or with a skin flap. A skin graft is a piece of skin taken from some other part of your body. This will be done during your operation to remove the cancer. It can be done under local or general anaesthetic, by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. A thin sheet of skin is removed from the ‘donor site’ and placed over the area that needs to be covered. The donor site is usually somewhere where it will not be too obvious, such as your inner thigh. The donor site will be like a large graze. The skin will grow back quite quickly – over the next couple of weeks. Sometimes the skin for the graft is cut out and the donor site repaired by stitching it back together. The area where the skin graft is put will be very delicate while it heals. It is vital that the graft is not damaged while it is healing. You must be very careful not to knock it. And your doctor and nurses will be very careful that your wound does not become infected. You may be given antibiotics to help prevent this. Most people having a wide local excision do not need a skin graft. The area heals up perfectly well without one. A disadvantage of skin grafting is that the skin often looks different from the surrounding area. It may be a different colour and appear depressed below the surface of the surrounding skin. Another way of repairing a large wound is a skin flap. To do this, a flap of skin and the tissue underneath it (the subcutaneous tissue) is used. The flap is taken from very close to your wound. It is cut away more deeply than for a skin graft, but is left partly connected to its original site. It has its own blood vessels, which are left connected up to the blood supply. The flap is then positioned over your wound and stitched in place. Then the area it has been removed from is stitched closed. Because the skin flap has its own blood supply, it survives, even though it has been moved.- Healing takes place slowly and depending on the area and amount of skin removed. for further details please see the following website of Cancer Research Foundation, U.K.-

Question: Michael and Janet Jackson's pale skin - cancer or surgery?

Answer: I have often wondered this myself, because Michael says he has a skin disease that makes his dark skin change to that with no pigmentation.....question is, does he really have that disease? And my own opinion is.....NO! I worked in a substance abuse center, with female prisoners (program they had to go through to get out), and many of the black women in our program regularly bleached their skin, because darker skin tends to scar more prominently. The more you look at pictures of Michael through the years, the more you notice that the lightening of his skin is more uniform, so he's bleaching it, not suffering from the disease. And I know how the disease works, because a good friend of mine, who happens to be CAUCASIAN, has it, and it starts on the neck, hands, feet, and works its way around the entire body. And even with makeup, you can still tell, because my friend is a girl and uses it to try to hide the differences in skin tones.

Question: I have nosebleeds and have had surgery for skin cancer on my nose before. What to expect from doctor? I have had cancerous cells removed from my nose over 5 years before. But lately, like after some spicy chinese food, I've been getting a nosebleed. Other times from when I have blown my nose hard. This has occurred maybe 4 times in the last 4 months. I will go to the doctor. What can I expect to hear? Are there websites where I can read stories of experience of this happening to people? Lately I have been in the sun without sunscreen to soak up some vitamin D for about 20 minutes. Is that too much? Should I look to different sources? I sure am scared that it might be skin cancer again. Please someone help.

Answer: Hello, If I've got this right, the cancerous cells were from the skin covering your nose, on the outside of the nose, not on the nostrils or the inside of the nose? You question suggests that the original skin cancer was caused partly by over-exposure to the sun, in the first place. That suggests it was a rodent ulcer, (a 'basal cell' cancer), or a 'squamous cell' cancer? If it was a rodent ulcer and the surgeon was able to remove it completely, you are cured of that now. If it was a squamous cell cancer, only sometimes does that come back. And then it mostly comes back on the skin near to where it was originally. I don't think 20 minutes in the sun as you describe, is likely to have been dangerous. It might be better to get your vitamin D from fish-oil capsules, mind. If the skin cancer was on the outside, then nosebleeds are a completely different problem, - - a common problem that lots of people get. Perhaps you have fragile blood vessels inside one of your nostrils, that would be the commonest cause, or a dangly polyp further inside. Sometimes high blood pressure causes nosebleeds, or occasionally it's due to the blood not clotting properly (i.e. having a bleeding tendency and bruising easily too). Cancer inside the nose is a rather rare cause of nosebleeds, - - most nosebleeds have a run-of-the-mill cause for them. The type of cancer which occurs inside the nose is different from skin cancer. You're likely to have your blood-pressure taken, a look taken inside your nose and at the sides of your nose, and perhaps a blood test. If the doctor is at all worried, or if he thinks you need your nose cauterized, (fragile blood vessels sealed up), - - he will refer you to an Ear Nose & Throat Specialist, also called and E.N.T. specialist or an 'oto-rhino-laryngologist.' I don't think I know of any websites where you can read of other peoples' experience with nosebleeds, but the 'Wiki' entry is worth looing at, it's referenced below. If you want to search the web, the key-words are 'nosebleeds' and 'epistaxis' (the medical name for nosebleeds). I hope this is of some help. Best wishes, Belliger (retired uk gp)

Question: has anyone ever heard of a stage 2 skin cancer patient needing serious surgery? (look at details please)? someone i know told me that he has stage 2 skin cancer & wrote this to me: "i am under going treatment the whole year because i have stage 2 skin cancer and i am having part of my liver and one of my kidneys removed because of the cancer." is he lying to me? or is this really possible?

Answer: He's lying. Even the worst skin cancer, melanoma, at stage 2 has not progressed to any organs or even lymph nodes.

Question: Nameof surgery used after squamos cell cancer is removed from the face and a skin graft covers the scar??? When the cancer is too extensive and the dermatologist can not perform the surgery, then the dermatologist sends the patient to a specialist who removes the cancer and places a skin graft over the area. What is this procedure called? There is a specific name for it.

Answer: Are you asking about Moh's surgery? A skin flap is not always involved with Moh's but there will be a skin flap used if the cancer was large or in a difficult area. Be aware that some of the photos at these links are very graphic. http://www.newyorkfacialplasticsurgery.com/FacialReconstructiveSurgery.htm http://wuphysicians.wustl.edu/dept.asp?ID=21&pageID=4 http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4362

Question: what will the process be to treat skin cancer located in the anal cavity with radiation and chemotherapy? my mother was diagnosed with skin cancer in the anal cavity. Surgery did not successfully remove the tumor and she will now have to receive chemotherapy and radiation. However, the doctor said he was unsure about what this process would entail and referred her to an oncologist. In the menatime, I'm wondering what the process of chemotherapy and radiation will be. How painful will the process be? Will my mother lose her hair? How long do you think the treatment will last? How much will it cost? This is a stressful time and any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer: Did she have a polyp? I had rectal bleeding. A colonoscopy was performed & a ca polyp was found. They tried to remove as much as possible but was not sucessful. I was sent for a cat scan of the abdoman with contrast. Next to find out the exacat location of the polyp I was sent for a rectal ultrasound which was more accurate about the location of the polyp. Mine was low enough for them to peform sugery transanaly . I was in surgery 31/2 hours.And they got it all and it had not spread. I did not have to have chemo nor radiation. I did not have any pain immediately post surgery. By midnight my IV had been removed and I was going to the bathroom on my own and was sent home the next day.My ? has your Mother had all the tests that she needs. Search the internet for rectal ca. hope this helps

Question: How come no one talks about Biden's BRAIN aneurism, but they're all over McCain's SKIN cancer? The press bias against the Republicans is so obvious, just from the fact that they NEVER mention Biden's BRAIN SURGERY - a major concern for someone in the White House, even the VP - but they keep mentioning McCain's skin cancer. Don't you think a brain problem that could recur - and cause erratic behavior - is worse than a skin problem? Geez. Whatevery happened to the watchdog press????

Answer: I belive that every candidate will do thier best to serve the country, but some actions will benefit specific citizens. It's up to the voters to decide if Biden is really the best person for the job. http://www.goodinternetdeals.com/Presidential-Survey.html

Question: Basal cancer cells found on ear, doctor recommends Mohs surgery to remove all layers of skin with cancer.? Anyone have this type of surgery? Pros / Cons? Are you happy with results?

Answer: Go, get the surgery, it's safe and you'll get out of there clean. You'll probably won't hear the word cancer for a long while (assuming you follow the recommendations on skin care and avoiding sun/use of sunscreen). Basal cell carcinoma is perfectly curable (is the 2nd most common cancer, yet less than 1% of people that has it die from it) if you detect it and remove it early.

Question: Who will die of skin cancer first: McCain or Palin? It's been known for some time that McCain has had surgery to remove skin cancer. Now it's been reported that Pain had installed a tanning bed in the governor's mansion in Alaska. I wonder if she used the money from the Bridge to Nowhere that she kept to purchase and install this? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/15/palin-installed-tanning-b_n_126625.html

Answer: What a silly question. I'm a democrat, but that doesn't mean I will answer this ridiculous question.

Question: Skin Cancer? My girlfriend that i love very much found a mole on her right buttocks and picked it off. After it grew back, she immediately got a biopsy done and her doctor told her it was cancerous. After he scraped most of it out with a scalpel, he explained that because of the muscle underneath, he couldnt get too deep in. So as of right now, theyre awaiting results and she meets with the oncologist next week. Does anyone have a take on this? Im being strong for her but also going out of my mind with worry. The Doctor did however tell her to mole was growing outward instead of inward, so that relieves us both. She may have surgery to get the rest out and i just need to stay strong for her

Answer: Any history of cancer in the family, particularly skin cancer? What you have mentioned is obviously one of the cancer signs (if you will find the signs of cancer: CAUTIONS) one of it is change in a wart or mole (appearance). Anyways, since you are waiting for the result of the biopsy, just take it easy. The biopsy would reveal the exact type of cancer, stage of cancer and from there we will be able to design treatment protocol for her. The early the stage of the cancer, i would say the better chance of eliminating it (or be on remission). Now, i would suggest that prior to any further steps, try to find resources of what type of chemo should be taken. I have been dealing with cancer patients and administering anticancer medications too. If you will be able to provide me the result of her test, the advice of treatment, i will be able to tell you more about the treatment we are using that promotes killing ONLY cancer cells and improving the immune system of the healthy cells. You must be reading now a lot of information about chemotherapy drugs, right? Almost all of chemo drug have a lot of side effects and therefore, obviously decreases the immune system of the patient. Once you have given me the information about your gf's result, i will direct you how to explain to her and would go about her treatment with this specific medication we are using for cancer patients that has a very good result. Then you try to do your own research about it as well. Also, i would suggest, prior to further surgery to completely (hopefully) remove all cancer cells, she has to better get this anticancer medication, so that it will encapsulate first the cancer cells, and the surgeon will have easy access and removal of the cancer cells. THis is what we are doing in our patients who go for surgery then after surgery, continue the treatment to kill cancer cells and achieve remission.