General Chat

OH was told on Friday that finally the basal cancer on his neck is clear. No more treatment needed. Combined with a "well what do you know" event.

It started as a little sore on his neck about 1" below the point of his jaw and his ear, and just about the level of a shirt collar. He thought he might have nicked it with his razor 'cos it was in the beard growing area. That was some time in 2019. We didn't think much about it, he just tried to make sure he was careful shaving.

But a sore, bleeding a bit, then scabbing, scab falling off, repeat, kept happening through last year.

It finally became somewhat like a blister with pus in it early this year. His doctor saw it in March and though it should be checked out, biopsied in other words.

OH then had a phone interview with a dermatologist in mid-March, went to his office at the end of March and it was removed and sent for biopsy.

Told about 2 weeks later that it had been confirmed as basal cell cancer (BCC) (as we'd come to think it was), but that there were still some cells left behind (ie not the "clear ring" around the biopsy).

OH was to be referred to a plastic surgeon for further surgery. He had a phone interview with the plastic surgeon end of April, and went to his office/surgery in mid May.

He came home with a big dressing on, which fell off about 9 or 10 days later .............. he has a scar about 2" long extending from a point about level with the bottom of his ear round to the front of his neck. It's already fading.

Then the confirmation call from the plastic surgeon last Friday.


Now the "well, what do you know" .............

OH thought the surgeon's name was familiar, and surgeon confirmed it ............... he was an undergraduate summer student in OH's lab in the mid-1970s!



I'm posting this in some detail as a warning ......... don't ignore a small mark that keeps returning and bleeding.

Luckily BCC is a slow-growing cancer, and not aggressive (usually, anyway), but it's better to catch it sooner than later.

OH has had some BCC before on the tips of his ears ................... he was never a sun bather, but we did do a lot of driving in hot sun, and he doesn't wear a hat when driving.

Does any man .................. or any woman for that matter?

Nor did we think about applying sun screen, although I always made sure that he put it on the backs of his hands.

Sylvia, so sorry to hear yourself and your OH have been through such troubling times this year (as if Covid wasn't enough to cope with), but pleased all has turned out well after treatment. Hopefully that's the last of his troubles.
How strange that he knew the surgeon-it's a small world. At least he learnt of his success.
My best wishes to you both. XX

I am pleased that your OH got the 'all clear', Sylvia. It must have been a worry for both of you.

What a happy coincidence that he knew the surgeon!

Thank you for the timely warning too.

That’s good news for hubby and for all the family


Agree it’s always best to get anything checked out as ignoring won’t stop it growing

Brilliant news, Sylvia.

Pleased that the BCC was finally all clear Sylvia. I do know the feeling. I think I may have said before that I have had (and I can't remember all of them) at least 12/15 BCCs. Apparently once you have had one it is probable that you will have more. I have had some scraped, some frozen and six cut out. The last one I had removed had been there about a year but I did put off going to get referred because of Covid. It was removed from my upper back 6 weeks ago and, because it was deep and 5 stitches long, it is being a s** to heal. It still has a dressing on which, because I can't do it myself has to be a nurse appointment twice a week. Next appointment on Friday. Goodness knows how long it is going to take.
Mine date back to being very fair skinned (had some ginger glints in my hair when young, white hair when born. And growing up living very near the seaside so always being taken there by Mum. Not really any good sunscreen in the 40s/early 50s and often sunburnt.
The all clear letter is always welcome. (I did have one on my cheek which also needed five stitches but that healed no problem. Both of those done in the Dermatology department of the hospital, others done by GPs.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 glad all is well :-)

I’m pleased it’s all clear now Sylvia :-)

Thank you all.

Yes, we "oldies" didn't have much access to any sunscreen when young. I can remember only one being available in the late 1940s and 50s. it was very smelly but also I was allergic to it.

I can't remember the name of it now, but think it might be the one that had a baby having it's nappy (or swim trunks) pulled? ?? Coppertone??

I also had some sort of slight allergy to the sun .................. very fair skinned, and I would come up in a rash if I was out for any length of time. The only treatment apart from keeping me inside was to to let it happen then coat the rash with calamine lotion. It would go down in a few days.

Now the rash appears on my hands and arms if I'm out in the sun for 5-10 minutes without any protection. I always use a moisturiser with SPF 15 on my face, summer and winter.

But then in my late teens, I found that using solid coconut oil before I went out allowed me to sunbathe, no rash and a tan.

How stupid can you be!


So far I have been lucky, despite that ............... one squamous cell cancer on my upper arm, removed by the GP, healed no problem; and one BCC on my shin, scraped off by a dermatologist, healed no problem.

But I did have one suspicious something removed from my back some years ago by the GP. It turned out to be nothing but it took ages to heal. I had 2 or 3 stitches in it, removed at the GP's office about a week later, seemed OK but then it ripped open when I was getting into bed that night. Back to the GP, an infection had developed inside the wound, so I had to go back twice a week, with OH changing the dressing and cleaning the wound every day.

Ann ................... I was told then that wounds on the back (and foreheads!) are the hardest to heal because there is so little flesh over the bones (in most of us :-D )

Good news onwards & upwards very best wishes to you both :-) <3 Barbara

Glad is good news.
Always best to get things like this checked

I had a BCC around 16 years ago, about 1/4 inch below lashes right eye. Removed under local anaesthetic, by plastic surgeon 3 stitches
Luckily took enough away and nothing else found. Cant see scar now