Richard's personal story

Over the past several years, I had several precancerous lesions removed, either surgically or by freezing. Each time I thought, "Whew, I'm glad we caught that early!" However, in 2010 I noticed a small, pearly, raised spot on my stomach. Having psoriasis, I have gotten used to finding new spots on my skin, so I didn't think much about it. However, after a few weeks, I could tell it wasn't psoriasis. The dermatologist did a biopsy which confirmed it was a basal cell carcinoma. He removed it surgically and later assured me he had removed all the cancer cells. It was small and didn't even leave a scar, so I considered myself lucky once again. 

In summer 2013, however, I started to notice a scaly patch in my sideburn area, just in front of my ear. I thought it was another spot of psoriasis, but over the next several weeks it grew rather rapidly. I went to the dermatologist. He took a biopsy but said it was almost unnecessary; it was a squamous cell carcinoma. He performed Mohs surgery on it a couple weeks later and was able to remove all the cancerous tissue in two steps, taking about three-and-a-half hours altogether. The only painful part was the brief needle stick to inject the anesthetic at the beginning of the procedure. The doctor was able to close the wound with a skin flap, and since it’s inside my hairline, it barely shows. 

Once again, I was “lucky,” but each time the situation has been a bit more serious than the last. I’ll be seeing my dermatologist at least twice a year to check for any suspicious-looking spots. I’m also a lot more aware of the need for wearing sunscreen and a hat when working or having fun out in the sun.