How do you ask for help or support when no one knows you need it? At Memorial Sloan Kettering, our basal cell carcinoma doctors and experts are able to easily and successfully treat basal cell carcinomas with currently available treatments. I think I started crying before they even did anything. Now you can barely see it. Micronodular basal cell carcinoma is an aggressive subtype of nodular BCC. Wait, what? The color is usually quite uniform, ranging from dark brown to bluish-black. J Skin Cancer. Most often you will have a biopsy done of the trouble spot. You can see examples of basal cell carcinoma in the image gallery below. When found early, this skin cancer is highly treatable. Yale J Biol Med. Required fields are marked *, Welcome! Hogue L, et al. The next day I was in a good deal of pain (mostly achey) and managed it with over the counter meds. The goal of treatment for basal cell carcinoma is to remove the cancer completely. All rights reserved. I got a lot of looks. Mayo Clinic; 2021. When it appears on your nose, basal cell carcinoma may look like a thin yellow area, a reddish patch, a clear bump, or an open sore that wont heal. I recently had bunion surgery on both feet but thats all I knew until yesterday at my family doctor appointment I asked if he could explain to me exactly what was done. In this gallery you'll find photos submitted by community members via Facebook of their post operative surgeries for skin cancer removal, including, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Maybe they can get rid of a few wrinkles, but without making an uneven smile? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2019. Basal cell carcinoma is most often treated with surgery to remove all of the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it. This treatment involves freezing cancer cells with liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery). I feel like when I try to show something to my derm he's like how long has it been there and I think everything is new. Thanks for posting! Jon, 41, had never heard of flap surgery before he went in to receive treatment for two basal cell carcinomas on his face. They should show you how to redress your bandage and give you all the necessary items to do so. Excision might be recommended for basal cell carcinomas that are less likely to recur, such as those that form on the chest, back, hands and feet. One reason a flap may be used is to avoid scar contracture, also called shrinkage. This procedure is done in stages, all in one visit, while the patient waits between each stage. Rarely, a free flap, is needed, which involves sewing blood vessels back together to reestablish blood flow, Dr. Antell explains. Nodular basal cell carcinoma is one of the three main subtypes of BCC. I am so grateful for my family for taking such good care of me. I havent told anyone because I dont know what to say or think so Im just stuck with all kinds of things going through my head on my own. [ 1, 2] The prognosis for patients with BCC is excellent, but if the disease is allowed to progress, it can cause significant morbidity. He sat down with me and explained the type of skin cancer I had. but still work full-time, just getting bit more difficult, as paralegal working with real estate developers, residential real estate clients. Mohs surgery is used to treat skin cancer. However you are feeling is right. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. BCC originates in basal cells located in the epidermis. But this time, it was irregular and had a black area on one side of it. So the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, my husband took the day off of work and went with me to the most gorgeous dermatologists office ever in Newport Beach, CA.