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Hi, I Have A Lot Of Moles Etc. And See
Question: Hi, I have a lot of moles etc. and see a dermatologist every 6 months. Today, he said he thought I had a XXXXXXX cell carcinoma on my back. I asked what else it could be and he said it could be nodular melanoma or just a benign growth. The PA removed it and they sent it for biopsy. The PA said it was small. It looked to be about the size of a pencil eraser to me. How concerned should I be? Are the odds good it is XXXXXXX cell? If it is nodular melanoma, would it still be early stage?
Hi, I have a lot of moles etc. and see a dermatologist every 6 months. Today, he said he thought I had a XXXXXXX cell carcinoma on my back. I asked what else it could be and he said it could be nodular melanoma or just a benign growth. The PA removed it and they sent it for biopsy. The PA said it was small. It looked to be about the size of a pencil eraser to me. How concerned should I be? Are the odds good it is XXXXXXX cell? If it is nodular melanoma, would it still be early stage?
Brief Answer:
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have gone through your query and noted your concern.
A small Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) usually has an excellent prognosis. An excision with clear margins is 100% curative. The fact that your doctor keeps BCC as the first possibility should ease your anxiety. A Nodular Melanoma (NM) is a differential diagnosis of a BCC but it is usually pigmented, unlike BCC which is translucent and pearly. He must have noted those facts when he suggested BCC as first possibilty although a pigmented BCC and amelanotic melanoma are well known types. Definitely, a NM has a worse prognosis because it is usually invasive. Anyways, biopsy is an excellent tool to predict the prognosis of a NM based on histological factors like depth of invasion and number of mitosis along with other factors like presence of regional lymph nodes.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have gone through your query and noted your concern.
A small Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) usually has an excellent prognosis. An excision with clear margins is 100% curative. The fact that your doctor keeps BCC as the first possibility should ease your anxiety. A Nodular Melanoma (NM) is a differential diagnosis of a BCC but it is usually pigmented, unlike BCC which is translucent and pearly. He must have noted those facts when he suggested BCC as first possibilty although a pigmented BCC and amelanotic melanoma are well known types. Definitely, a NM has a worse prognosis because it is usually invasive. Anyways, biopsy is an excellent tool to predict the prognosis of a NM based on histological factors like depth of invasion and number of mitosis along with other factors like presence of regional lymph nodes.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Brief Answer:
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have gone through your query and noted your concern.
A small Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) usually has an excellent prognosis. An excision with clear margins is 100% curative. The fact that your doctor keeps BCC as the first possibility should ease your anxiety. A Nodular Melanoma (NM) is a differential diagnosis of a BCC but it is usually pigmented, unlike BCC which is translucent and pearly. He must have noted those facts when he suggested BCC as first possibilty although a pigmented BCC and amelanotic melanoma are well known types. Definitely, a NM has a worse prognosis because it is usually invasive. Anyways, biopsy is an excellent tool to predict the prognosis of a NM based on histological factors like depth of invasion and number of mitosis along with other factors like presence of regional lymph nodes.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to ask a doctor service. I have gone through your query and noted your concern.
A small Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) usually has an excellent prognosis. An excision with clear margins is 100% curative. The fact that your doctor keeps BCC as the first possibility should ease your anxiety. A Nodular Melanoma (NM) is a differential diagnosis of a BCC but it is usually pigmented, unlike BCC which is translucent and pearly. He must have noted those facts when he suggested BCC as first possibilty although a pigmented BCC and amelanotic melanoma are well known types. Definitely, a NM has a worse prognosis because it is usually invasive. Anyways, biopsy is an excellent tool to predict the prognosis of a NM based on histological factors like depth of invasion and number of mitosis along with other factors like presence of regional lymph nodes.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if you need any more assistance.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Thank you. They said this growth was pink and slightly raised. What does this mean? If it is a NM, would the prognosis be better because it is "small" and slightly raised? When you say pigmented are most NM's darker than pink?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. They said this growth was pink and slightly raised. What does this mean? If it is a NM, would the prognosis be better because it is "small" and slightly raised? When you say pigmented are most NM's darker than pink?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
hi.
Most NMs are dark due to melanin. Only amelanotic ones are pink which are few. Yes, a small and only slightly raised melanoma would have a much better prognosis. Its morphological characteristics like color and size suggest that it is a local or locally invasive, it being pink and slightly raised. Moreover, absence of signs like ulceration, color variegation and with no mention about its borders or symmetry suggest that it is most likely a BCC.
Take care.
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
hi.
Most NMs are dark due to melanin. Only amelanotic ones are pink which are few. Yes, a small and only slightly raised melanoma would have a much better prognosis. Its morphological characteristics like color and size suggest that it is a local or locally invasive, it being pink and slightly raised. Moreover, absence of signs like ulceration, color variegation and with no mention about its borders or symmetry suggest that it is most likely a BCC.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Brief Answer:
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
hi.
Most NMs are dark due to melanin. Only amelanotic ones are pink which are few. Yes, a small and only slightly raised melanoma would have a much better prognosis. Its morphological characteristics like color and size suggest that it is a local or locally invasive, it being pink and slightly raised. Moreover, absence of signs like ulceration, color variegation and with no mention about its borders or symmetry suggest that it is most likely a BCC.
Take care.
Regarding skin cancer
Detailed Answer:
hi.
Most NMs are dark due to melanin. Only amelanotic ones are pink which are few. Yes, a small and only slightly raised melanoma would have a much better prognosis. Its morphological characteristics like color and size suggest that it is a local or locally invasive, it being pink and slightly raised. Moreover, absence of signs like ulceration, color variegation and with no mention about its borders or symmetry suggest that it is most likely a BCC.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
So, it came back as a basal cell. They want to cut it out. I am going on vacation so they will cut it out on 2-18. They said it is slow growing so that's fine. They said there is a 98% chance it will not come back and if it does it will be in the same general area so it could be removed again. No lifting, etc. For 10 to 14 days. Does this all sound right to you? Should I stop worrying? Thank you for your thoughtful responses.
So, it came back as a basal cell. They want to cut it out. I am going on vacation so they will cut it out on 2-18. They said it is slow growing so that's fine. They said there is a 98% chance it will not come back and if it does it will be in the same general area so it could be removed again. No lifting, etc. For 10 to 14 days. Does this all sound right to you? Should I stop worrying? Thank you for your thoughtful responses.
Brief Answer:
Regarding BCC
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Ok. that's relieving. As I said a BCC is usually not an aggressive. They must have seen that on histology and found it to be a well differentiated tumor, which is slow growing and not aggressive unlike an undifferentiated one. Excision with clear margins is usually curative in a BCC. Recurrences are far and few and they can be re-excised. Moreover, back is not a high risk area, unlike face. So, stop worrying.
Take care.
Regarding BCC
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Ok. that's relieving. As I said a BCC is usually not an aggressive. They must have seen that on histology and found it to be a well differentiated tumor, which is slow growing and not aggressive unlike an undifferentiated one. Excision with clear margins is usually curative in a BCC. Recurrences are far and few and they can be re-excised. Moreover, back is not a high risk area, unlike face. So, stop worrying.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Brief Answer:
Regarding BCC
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Ok. that's relieving. As I said a BCC is usually not an aggressive. They must have seen that on histology and found it to be a well differentiated tumor, which is slow growing and not aggressive unlike an undifferentiated one. Excision with clear margins is usually curative in a BCC. Recurrences are far and few and they can be re-excised. Moreover, back is not a high risk area, unlike face. So, stop worrying.
Take care.
Regarding BCC
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Ok. that's relieving. As I said a BCC is usually not an aggressive. They must have seen that on histology and found it to be a well differentiated tumor, which is slow growing and not aggressive unlike an undifferentiated one. Excision with clear margins is usually curative in a BCC. Recurrences are far and few and they can be re-excised. Moreover, back is not a high risk area, unlike face. So, stop worrying.
Take care.
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
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