CancerCompass message board discussion started by SpankyB on 9/21/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,16358,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Any advice?  Since being diagnosed finally-after a lesion being disregarded for 2 years by my primary physician I'm left feeling totally exhausted mentally and anxiety laden thinking about what lies ahead.Surgery took place August 30th and this three weeks have been hell enough wearing a bandage on my right temple.  My dermatologist started to break it to me very gently during surgery that I may need "anti-cancer therapy" post surgery.  I remember thinking to myself hmmm...not a bad idea.  Who wouldn't want to sorta "boost" their immune system?...when I returned home and started googling skin cancer and anti-cancer therapy the sudden shock of the definition being topical chemotherapy numbed me. When I went to see him for my two week checkup he found and froze 4 more spots.  Ughhhhhhhh...all of them on my face.  He asked me what my chances were of taking some time off work-because the Efudex treatment he was going to subscribe was going to be pretty nasty. After researching the Efudex (admittedly, I initially considered saying no to any type of treatment) I phoned him to ask if it could wait until January 2008.  You see, my mother is battling multiple myeloma right now and I don't want to burden them with this.  My thoughts being that I can still spend the holidays (quite possibly her last) with them and then retreat in January to undergo the nasty face treatment.  We are 4 hours apart and with my mother being ill they won't be visiting me.? Will I feel alright to at least go outside for a while perhaps for a walk (probably after dark or during the day when neighbors are at work)?  How long will it take my face to be able to withstand some foundation to at least cover some of the post treatment redness that many of you talk about?Have any of you had to resort to treatment for anxiety during this?Not looking forward to this and I wish circumstances were different so that I could start this NOW and get it behind me.  The waiting is worst for me.  SpankyB Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT You can try radiation therapy on the areas of involvement and although you will get a sunburn most patients say it is less painful than the cream.Also since the superficial irradiation goes a little deeper, the effect is usually permanent in the areas treated.  Most derm don't have much experience in radiation therapy even though some Dermatologists actually have their own machine in their office.  Quite Frankly they get paid so well for the surgeries ,they don't want to consider anything else.  The recurrence rate with the cream is very high and you may have to do it multiple times at last "get it all". Witchdoctor Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT  That being said-do you recommend seeing an oncologist?  After reading about the efudex I'd rather undergo radiation once than have my face burned by creams only to find that down the road it has to be done again.  Can they radiate the entire face? I've already had the surgery and had some spots "frozen".  I don't want to have to do either again.    SpankyB Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT