Skin Cancer

[SARGE]

Yeah we've all heard the warnings just as in the hazards of smoking, etc. I've had a bump on the top of my ear that steadily grew larger, so visited my bud the Doc. It ain't ugly and bleeding as such but a bump. Well it's what they call Basal Cell Carcinoma. I spent my whole life outdoors including working. Always wore a ball cap but that didn't cover the ears. AND, it can appear several years after no further exposure. So you young fellers take note and if you spend alot of time outdoors, wear at least a cowboy hat. If you don't it will someday come back and bite your arse. It's not always something that happens "to the other guy"; I always said that myself.

[bigpuma]

Good advice Sarge. I hope you caught this early and will have little if any difficulty eradicating the cancer. My wife is always yelling at me to put on the sun screen when I go outside. I guess I should start listening more often.

[sleepypost]

Hey sarge, can they jjust remove it like a wart? Or do they have to actually do cancer therapy on it? It sounds like it could spread.

[mbossman2]

most of the time this is treated via removal of the tumor as well as of some of the surrounding tissue (surgical, cauterization and or cryogenically are the preferred methods). this solves/cures 95% of the cases. it is imperitive that a strict regimine of monitoring be put in place to identify and treat any additional occurences (you got it once...it'll come back again)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e....htm#Treatment

good catch sarge...properly treated and monitoring and you will continue to live a happy productive life.

[HAL9000]

I always use sunscreen... even on days that don't seem that hot, the UV index can be high.

[colecifer]

Basal Cell Carcinoma thats not as bad as melenoma right? I'm pretty sure melenoma is the worse. I know a man that died from melenoma recently. Hope your skin cancer treatment goes well.

[mbossman2]

melanoma and carcinoma are types of cancer...not sure of the subtlties.

[sleepypost]

Yea, this iis a good warning to me, but I can't control myself. I FRY myself in the sun. When I'm parked at a red light I stick my face in the sun. I dunno, I thought I had S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) for a while and since I am so compulsive, I seriously get pleasure from the sun.

[Karnevil9]

I hope everything goes well for you on this Sarge. I have two older brothers that had various stages of this. It was treated fairly easily, but was a cause for concern.
I watch myself like a hawk. Not only because, like them, I am very fair skinned, but because until I was in my twenties I always started the summer by going to the beach and getting burned like a lobster. Like Sarge says for all you yunger guys, the damage you do now can come back to haunt you. I always wear a heavy sunscreen now, but it is those earlier days that I woory about.
Nothing wrong with enjoying the sun, just respect the damage that it can do.

[Karnevil9]

[Karnevil9]

[Karnevil9]

Whoops, Computer was acting up.

[glc]

No, the forum locks for about 5 minutes at 2:30am EST for a backup. Hit the submit button only once, please.

[doctorgonzo]

Very good advice. It is very important these days to always wear sunscreen, starting from an early age. My wife already had a suspicious-looking mole removed, and she was 23. Better safe than sorry.

[SARGE]

Bad thing about the ear is it's so much cartilage so when they remove a cancer one ends up looking like Evander Holifield when Tyson bit him. I know a guy at the VFW who lost his entire ear.