Latest Skin Cancer Squamous Cell discussions http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/cancers/skin-cancer/skin-cancer-squamous-cell/1,0,119,4,70.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I am on day 16 of the Efudex cream treatment. I feel itchy, sore,unactractive and have cabin fever. Yesterday my dr. pleaded with me to continue the treatment on my face for one more week and two more weeks on the chest. That totals 3 weeks face and 4 weeks chest. My skin looks like raw meat. Not a cool thing for a vegetarian. I'm a prisioner in my home since I feel self conscience about being in public. The dr. assured me that I'll be beautiful and completely happy with the results. She said I'm erasing 30 years of sundamage. Love that fact! I will continue but am counting the days. Good luck to everyone using this harsh product. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,26079,0.htm winterbear2499 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT I was diagnosed with Squamus Cell cancer 4 years ago.  I had 7 lumps removed from my legs. Even more lumps developed and I had those surgically removed with chemotherapy afterwards.This all helped for 18months but the lumps have started coming back. I had 4 cancer tumours taken out and 6 other lumps were active actinic keratosis.  I am therefore having to use aldara cream 5 days per week + neogason tablets every day.  I have been using these for 4 weeks and my legs are red, blistered, and very sore.  I am also getting sore eyes + sore fingers etc. etc.  My dermatologist says I may have to use this treatment permanently as I will get squamus cells again if I stop.I am very unhappy.Has this treatment worked for anyone?  Please let me know.  Plus does using the cream + tablets ever get any better after prolonged use?   http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,25030,0.htm wendy13 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I was diagnosed with Squamus Cell cancer 4 years ago.  I had 7 lumps removed from my legs. Even more lumps developed and I had those surgically removed with chemotherapy afterwards.This all helped for 18months but the lumps have started coming back. I had 4 cancer tumours taken out and 6 other lumps were active actinic keratosis.  I am therefore having to use aldara cream 5 days per week + neogason tablets every day.  I have been using these for 4 weeks and my legs are red, blistered, and very sore.  I am also getting sore eyes + sore fingers etc. etc.  My dermatologist says I may have to use this treatment permanently as I will get squamus cells again if I stop.I am very unhappy.Has this treatment worked for anyone?  Please let me know.  Plus does using the cream + tablets ever get any better after prolonged use?   http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,25031,0.htm wendy13 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I have a suspicious-looking thing on the back of my thigh. Looks like a scaly wart, with a red ring or base surrounding it. Getting info from the internet can be scary and dangerous, HOWEVER, from what I've seen it looks JUST like either actinic keratosis or squamous cell carcinoma. Sometimes I feel like a dope, because I always thought of skin cancer as "melanoma". Which happens to be only the most serious kind. I've been feeling this thing on my leg for about a year, and didn't actually try to look at it until this past week. Oy. I thought it was a stupid new mole or something (which should have been suspicious to me); I don't know WHAT I was thinking, I mean HONESTLY now. So on to my question; I am fair-haired, hazel eyes, always burned easy. Burned to the point of blistering 2-3 times as a child, a couple of serious burns (no blistering) as an adult. Hardly ever wear shorts, too. Adult burns occured at the beach. Never did tanning beds. Often wear a cap or baseball cap. So, how long, with actinic keratosisis, is too long to wait to have it removed? It doesn't feel to have changed too much in the past year. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,24974,0.htm TheBluebelly Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello, My 58 year old mother had developed this bump-like ,crusty cyst into her ear. Some kind of a liquid was also running from it and smells bad. We have noticed it 2 months ago as it went from a pimple size to a peanut size cyst. The Doctor said it seems like it is there for more than 5 months. they removed the leison a few days ago. The doctors said it was very deep almost near the scalp of the head. We are waiting for the test results.  Can you please let me know more about it?  http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s31/tia_baby1/?action=vie  http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s31/tia_baby1/?action=vie http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,24237,0.htm Minkata123 Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT I was having curettage to remove some largish Keratosis from my scalp. The Dermotologist said one looked squamous and he'd send it to the lab. It came back as Bowens Disease which I'd never heard of and can't find mentioned on here in skin cancer.It is more medically known as 'Squamous Cell Carcinoma in situ' and is usually thought of as a pre-cancer although some say it is cancer. Mine looked like a keratosis but developed a red patch which crusted over. Bowens is restricted into the upper area of skin and hasn't gone into the lower areas and so isn't usually dangerous, but it can change. It can be treated with cream or PDT but my dermo said the best cure is surgery and so I had a skin graft about an inch diameter right on the top of my head.  The surgeons biopsy said its all gone but my skin is severely sun damaged.I'd be interested in hearing if anyone has had Bowens removed by PDT, Efudix or other and how long it has been clear. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23840,0.htm pete3080 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Has anyone been prescribed Aldara Cream for use on the lips? Gloria http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23091,0.htm gloria123 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi....I read several messages about Carac as a treatment for precancerous cells on the lips but I wondered if anyone else might have something to add. I have seen two dermatologists. One is strongly suggesting that I use this and the other staes he agrees that it is an appropriate treatment but that he personally would not do it. Also, the instructions I got with the cream say that you should not use on mouth. Lastly I would like to know how long it takes for the lips to fully heal. Any thoughts you could share would be helpful. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,21233,0.htm amaranth Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi - just found this site - great information. I have just finished a 3 week adventure of efudex on my entire face. It has been very difficult - I have had the following side effects: loss of appetite -nausea- tiredness - alot of pain - joint pain - a bad taste in my mounth the 1st week - now I have mouth sores and blisters - difficulty focusing thoughts - itching - I argee with others that my Doctor did not do a very good job on what to expect other than "try to make it through the entire 3 weeks" and when I asked what to wash my face with he told me "you aren't going to want to wash your face". Very poor in my opnion - I know that things will get better, but I am pretty miserable at this point, my face is swollen, very red, crusty and painful. I am trying to stay home as much as possible - getting very tired and short tempered at hearing strangers say " haven't you heard of sun screen?" And to top it off - my husband has been very unsupportive and inconsiderate. I had mohs surgery for a squamous cell lesion last October that resulted in a silver dollar size area being removed from the side of my face - it resulted in 72 stitches, the surgeon who did the operation did a fantastic job of reconstruction - you can hardly tell. But, my husband seems to think that the Efudex treatment is a "choice" on my part. I sincerely appreciate everyone listening to me. I see my Doctor in 2 days - in the mean time I have been putting vaseline on my face - it is soothing, but I think that maybe I should try someting else - any ideas? thanks1doglover  http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20916,0.htm 1doglover Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT I have a tube of this stuff to use on my face and chest to get rid of pre-cancer cells.  I know it will be a pain and rather ugly looking but is supposed to really clean it up till next time.My question is about skin care during the usage.  I understand that you aren't supposed to use any creams, but what should you use to wash your face?  I usually wash my face in the a.m. and the p.m.  It shoud probably be something that is not irritating in any way.  Any advice? Any other advice in general for making the experience most effective and minimally obnoxious? Thanks.... http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,20377,0.htm CiciM Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi, I am a 33 year old woman with SCC on my forehead that has been resected twice in March and then grew back in the line of the scar. I had it re-excised in October and start radiotherapy at the end of november. I am keen to hear from other young people with scc's. I have red hair and freckles. I live in Australia. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,17731,0.htm rarbie Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT I am pretty sure I have squamous cell. I am just waiting for the biopsy to come back and that could take up to a month! I heard the survival rate is really good with early detection. What is considered early detection? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,16607,0.htm Donna63 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Hello, My dad is still loosing weight every day! We are one week away from the final week of chemo& radition treatments. My worries are he's goes to the doctors on Monay 9/24 to see if they will go in and remove the tumur as well as the lymph's or if they even can at this stage. Remind you he's @stage 4 and in the a late phase in that stage. If the surgary is confrimed, he will loose his voice box. As well as some of the neck . We all know theres no promises to the final results. I do have alot of hope. I'm so concerned for him. My fears interfere with my hopes. Peole tell all the time It most likely will come back even after the surgury's done. thats where my concerns come. Is all of it worth the pain and discomfort if no one knows what the journey holds for him. I feel so selfish when he is the one who is truely dealing with the cancer I am not!  Please pray for him Monday!!!                     Just letting my fear get to me                                                                scared,                                                                    BelindaPs. God I pray for all who's faith that may be tested durring  trying times .....  http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,16393,0.htm jobelinda Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT My mom was just diagnosed w/ Squamous Cell in the tonsils & spread to her lymph node(s)?  We are still early in the process but the most dramtic of this so far has been her having to have ALL of her teeth extracted!  You can imagine the devastation.  She just had the bottom row of teeth pulled yesterday & will go back for her top monday.(STRANGE! ONE DAY UR NORMAL & THE NEXT UR LIVE HAS CHANGED FOREVER).  I have never know anyone with cancer & I hate to say but never really thought too much or concerned myself with finding out so I am completly in the dark at this point.  She just finished up a meeting w/ some surgeons today & she was informed she will have chemo & radiation for 6 wks MON-FRI.  If for any reason after the 6 wk time frame they go back & find it has only shrunken or hs not completly gone away she said Plan B will be modified left neck dissection.  This term seems totally foreign to me.  I know it is a surgery and I'm reading alot of people of the message boards leaving comments about experiences w/ their loved ones or cancer patient/surviors themslvs leaving comments about having this done.  What I have heard about this, is that it is GREAT treatment for those who have gotten it.  What I have not heard is what are the after effects of this treatment?  Is there deformity's involved?.. My mom already had her teeth pulled, she plans to loss her hair, eyebrows, eyelashes & such.  Can this modified left neck dissection add to the pain of physical changes?  I realize nothing about having cancer is nice or something to look forward to.  I would simply like to prepare myself as wels as mom of what the possiblities are. Thanks to anyone who can respond!.... Liza   http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,16156,0.htm support system 4 mom Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Hello, i was wondering if any one could give me info about squamous cell skin cancer going internal.I have had many spots removed in the past 5-6 yr.all pos. for either basil or squamous cell.I had one removed from vaginal area.(squma.) this had to be done 2 times. my concern now is i have been see blood in urin also getting many bladder&uti for the last 5 mon. if anyone could give me any info i would like to listen. ido go to the DR. next week. thanks sheila http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15861,0.htm sheilac3 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Sandy g,My daughter wrote to you previously about her dad and myself. I'm not sure how to help you. It did help me to go onto a message board and also a cancer support group online. just to talk to someone who could relate to how bad and how good it was did help me. Is skin cancer the type of cancer he has? If you look up cancer support groups, choose the type he has and get on that list there will be some wonderful people there that know exactly what you are dealing with. You can vent, cry and laugh with them. Yes, laugh. I know that's not something you expect but it does happen. Laughter is the best medicine sometimes. I was married to the sweetest man in the world. He had his bad days and good ones. We dealt with them all. He did get mean and angry at times. I just let it go. It wasn't the man I knew him to be. You have to live for today. Tomorrow will come soon enough and there will be stuff to deal with then. Don't let him push you away. That's a guy thing, he's probably trying to protect you from getting hurt. I don't know. I loved that man with all my heart and couldn't imagine life without him, but I've survived and only remember the good. It's hard to think that you can but you need to make some very good memories. Don't dwell on the bad stuff. You can be strong and do this. He's not being mean on purpose. He's not mad at you, it's the cancer he's mad at, you just happen to be there. Let him vent and let it go. You can't take it all to heart. He loves you and wants you there with him. And in the long run, that's all you can do. Be his strength, be his hero and love him no matter what. Tell him everyday how much you love him. Don't let him ever doubt it. Be strong and know you are in my prayers as you go through this journey.Hugs & Prayers, http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15236,0.htm essjaybee2 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT My husband had gotten cancer in 1999. It was squamous on the tonsil. He had intensive radiation & chemo trtmts and the tumor went away but he lost all of his salivae glands. H has had a hard time eating. But put up with it all this time. The dr's were not up front with him as they elected not to tell him this before his trtmts.Well he has a squqmou cell canccer on his tongue. It's been going on for 2 months now. We finally got ok to go to our Cancer hospital here in Texas, MD Anderson. We go tomorrow to start the doctors visits. today he is not doing well at all. He can't eat hardly anything and drinking is hard not also. He drank about 6 cans of boost yesterday but couldn't today. He is very pale and yellowish now. I hope it's not too late for dr's to treat him.He is very grumpy and short tempered. My daughter keeps telling me it's not its that he is in so much pain and is hurting so much that he grips at me. I find it very hard to handle when he gets like that and I feel so helpless that I cry alot now.How do I cope as being his caregiver and try to keep an upbeat for him when sometimes I just want to shake him and yell at him?If someone could give me some advise on what I am suppose to do as his caregiver. We will be married 36 years this Oct I hope we make it there. Thank youSandy http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15012,0.htm sandy g Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT It's been two weeks since I've had my stitiches removed and I feel like a freak!  I'm not worried about the scar as I know that will fade and I can cover what doesn't fade with make-up; however, I have a divit in my cheek where they cancer was removed.  Did anyone else have this and will it go away?  When I look in the mirror that's all I see anymore.  I had a plastic surgeon do my surgery and closure but I'm still very unhappy with the results.Julie http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,14210,0.htm Jewels13 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT I would like to hear from anyone who had Photodynamic Therapy in their treatment of skin cancer. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,13783,0.htm Wellgal Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Hi All, I am new here... so sad to be here ... I am crying as I type. In fact, I have been crying almost non-stop for three days. My 21 year old son has just been diagnosed as having an SCC skin cancer on his ear. More tests scheduled for later in the week so that they can tell us whether it has invaded his lymph glands. Although he is young, I am remarkably negative (usually positive!) The reason I feel this way is that, from everything I have read SCCs have a high success rate in treatment if caught early. My son has had this horrid, festering sore on his ear for AT LEAST 6 or 7 months. During this time, it has continued to grow and distend. It is now at a point where it is continually weeping and festering (sorry if this sounds gross)...It takes up most of the ear opening. From my perspective, this tends to indicate that the SCC is fairly well advanced... or am I incorrect? (HAPPY if I am wrong here!!)  The doctors have done a couple of test already and said that the tumour is pretty loose and hasn't attached itself to anything, and also confirmed that it isn't in the brain. They felt his lymph glands then stuck something up his nose and down his throat - said that they didn't detect any swelling of the lymph glands. The positive side of me says that this is all good news and that everything will be fine (..we know that he is going to lose most of his ear - but who cares - as long as my boy lives!!!!)  ... the negative side of me cries constantly because "early detection" is of paramount importance with SCCs on the ear - and I don't think we can call this early - especially when I look at how festery and gross the tumour has become. If that is what it has done on the outside, what is going on on the inside? ..... PLEASE HELP ME... I would be so grateful if someone can assist here. I need the truth - even if it isn't great news. At least it will help me start to cope!!!  http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,13767,0.htm Worriedmother! Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT my brother just had surgery to remove scc in his neck.  they took out part of his neck muscle and a tonsile.  my question is the if he has it in 2 lymph nodes, why did they not remove them at the same time. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,12124,0.htm Fire Girl Wed, 16 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT Hi everyone. The postings have been very educational and very scary. I wonder if I would have been better off not knowing what I to expect in the next 4 weeks. The truth is I'm grateful to have this infomation. This way I can plan ahead a bit and reduce my activities that involve people I don't know. I never considered myself vain, but anticipating looking like a monster is really freaking me out. I have to train a group of people next week and hope the effects are not too bad at that point. I have to start back to grad school in late January and am dreading walking into a classroom of strangers looking so aweful. I am considering skipping class but I really don't want to do that. I wish I knew how drastic my reaction will be. At this point, day 4 I feel like I have a mild sunburn. My doctor has me seeing her for evaluation at 3 weeks. I suspect I have a good case of bad cells because she has already tried burning off the bad areas twice and is now prescribing Carac. As she is examining my face, she is asking me if I have every lived in a really sunny climate. I have not and and was never a big sun person. I am a very light skinned red head. Wish me luck and I hope this posting goes to the right place. I will write again soon.Maybe posting my experiences will help someone else like your postings have helped me.       http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,8676,0.htm Labgirl Sun, 07 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT I've had 9 BCC removed over the past few years. Recently I had a wart removed off my right chest and my derm had it biopsied. I had left voicemails for the results but no return calls. I assumed (my bad) that it was nothing, until I received a letter eight months later stating it was Squamous cell. I went back and we could not locate the spot of the biop so they put me on Efudex twice daily over my whole chest area. I've been on efudex for two weeks now but there have been no results. Some burning sensation the first few days but no redness or inflammation at all. My derm was quite shocked to see no reaction after two weeks and has me using it for another two weeks. I realize the biop may have removed the SCC entirely but why no reaction? http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,8273,0.htm Rhrjst Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT I am a vietnam vet. I went thru agent orange screening because of my exposure in 1966. The VA said that squamous cell cancer is not recognized as an agent orange problem. No one in my family history has had this. I come from a large family, 23 cousins and 7 uncles. I also have skin issues that developed shortly after 1966. I was told in the early 70's that I did not have jungle rot. The doctor said I had been exposed to a chemical. The VA said that these problems are not related to agent orange. I told them I came home from the Republic of South Vietnam with some of these skin problems. They are not family related. So who cares if it is recognized as agent orange related. We will all be dead before the government admits to all of the side effects of agent orange. One of my friends has already died from compications related to agent orange. I have a number of buddies that have cancers related to the chemical. If enought vets come forth with squamas cell cancers, we may beat down the VA and force the issue. http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,6287,0.htm 42747 Wed, 02 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT I have been diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma on my back. My dermatologist had been watching this spot on my back for a couple of years and this time when I went in to see him for another mole, he said it was time for THIS one to come off. He removed some of the tissue saying it was basal cell but the tests came back SCC. The nurse just called and said I had skin cancer and that I needed to have some more removed. I said, Okay, and we set up a time for this Thursday at noon. Then it hit me what she had said!! Cancer!! And I called back and asked what kind it was and she said SCC.. And I said okay.. I really like my dermatologist but just to be told "you have cancer" and come back and get some more of your skin removed doesn't seem very compassionate to me.. But it is so close to Thursday I don't want to bother the doctor now.. But I am getting more concerned every day.. Does anyone have any advise? Or maybe I just need to vent!! SMILE http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,2794,0.htm Tntarpon Mon, 22 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT