Skin Cancer Diagnosis

Well, folks, it's official -- I have a secondary cancer.

I went to my dermatologist about a week ago, and she biopsied a growth on my scalp. Results came back a couple of days ago, and it's Basal Cell Carcinoma. 

And, in my mind, it's not too big a deal. 

For one thing, I've been kind of preparing emotionally for this for about two years. My current oncologist has been encouraging me to go to the dermatologist for at least that long, reminding me that as a Follicular Lymphoma patient, I am at greater risk of skin cancer than most people. FL, as you know, is a cancer of B cells, a type of immune cells, which makes my immune system a little bit more "special" than others'. And since the treatment I received has a way of messing even more with the immune system  (this is true of pretty much every FL treatment), it's no surprise that I have had some cells behaving in ways they shouldn't. And misbehaving cells can lead to cancer.

It's also not a surprise because I grew up at a time when sunscreen just wasn't a thing. I had regular sunburns as a kid -- red skin, blisters, peeling, can't-sleep-because-the-sheets-hurt-when-they-touch-your-skin kinds of sunburns. In fact, I was about 22 when I last got one of those. I should have known better by that point, but it was the summer before I met my wife and I was still a self-destructive jerk. She changed me for the better. My point is, that combination of funky immune system and a history of sun damage makes for perfect conditions for skin cancer.

It was almost exactly a year ago when I wrote about my last close call with skin cancer. My dermatologist did a biopsy then, too, fearing I had a different type of skin cancer -- squamous cell. That one turned out to be negative, removed just before it was likely to turn cancerous. This one wasn't so quick. 

The good news is that Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer in the USA, with about 3.6 million diagnoses every year (according to The Skin Cancer Foundation). It is non-aggressive, and as long as it is treated soon, it shouldn't cause any major problems.

I'm scheduled for surgery in about a month -- no hurry, no worries. It will be in an-office procedure with a local anesthetic. I'll write more about it after it happens. If I was 40 years younger, I'd document the whole thing on Instagram. I probably won't do that.

The lesson here, as I said a year ago -- pay attention to your body and do any scheduled cancer screenings that your doctor recommends. Colonoscopy, breast or prostate exams, skin tests -- all of it.

I think most of us FL patients are probably aware of our own bodies, and we know when something isn't right. That's the "blessing" of having a slow-growing, incurable cancer. We pay attention. But I also know that many cancer patients finish treatment and then just don't want to think about it anymore. I get that. But make sure there is a balance. Don't think about cancer for 364 days of the year. For the other day, get whatever prevention and detection tests are available.

And remember to urge your family and friends to do the same. Tell them your story. Embellish it if you have to. I'm all in favor of shame, guilt, and fear if it gets someone to the doctor's office for a cancer screening.

I'll keep you all updated. Probably won't be much to tell, which is how I like it.

Stay well. Get checked.