i have found a suspicious brown spot

[vencasand]

i have found a suspicious brown spot on my back. it is getting darker and i am going to the dermatologist in 2 weeks. when i go i will have her not only check that spot but my whole body for other spots. i am single so i don't have anyone to tell me if something is happening where i can't see. i am pretty sure it is skin cancer but i don't know what kind. hopefully i caught it in time. when i was a teen i used sunscreen but i sometimes burned. i was a sun worshipper back then. i will keep you all informed.

[Dr.Deepak]

sorry to hear that and lets hope that is not skin cancer rather may be just an age spots, but yea early diagnosis is important to rule out any possible complications. Even skin cancer can be treated effectively and cured if diagnosed early. So be sure to visit a dermatologist and get a biopsy done if suspected for any skin cancer.

[sallyB]

good luck at the dermatologist. I go every two years for check up since I've got fair skin. And in my teenage years I was bad with sunbathing. So now I'm worried.

[vencasand]

deepak, too bad you aren't here in america. i could be your patient!!!! the dermatologist i am seeing is very good. i have never been to a derm just a gp.

[vencasand]

sally, you are doing the right thing by going to see the dermatologist on a regular basis. i am going because like i said as a teen i even though i used sunscreen i still got a burn every now and then. as i age my skin is becoming thinner and i just want to take precautions like you do. don't worry too much. you sound like you are doing the right things for your skin now.

[vencasand]

well i went to the dermatologist and i need to have 2 spots surgically removed. i had 5 spots frozen while i was there. i didn't pick up 2 that i had removed. i guess i will have to go to a derm on a regular basis also. payment for sun loving as a teen. i won't have my spots surgically removed until july. i will let you all know after i have it done.

[vencasand]

update: i had my spots removed and both benign. one (the one i was worried about)was seborrhea keritosis. the other one was called prurigo nodularis. last one caused by autoimmune disease. go figure. guess my skin is going to go thru the whole list of medical problems because of my autoimmune problems. my psoriasis is staying controled not actually gone but doing good. so good news no skin cancer and i don't have to go back for a year. bad news just some more skin irritations. yipee!

[pepsimax]

I hadn't seen this thread before but I'm glad the spots were benign.
I have a friend and a neighbour who are both being treated for skin cancer. Neither of them have been abroad and grew up with max summer temps of around 70C mixed in with overcast and wet days. Generally sunscreen wasn't used but neither did people walk around half undressed. So it just goes to show you don't just need high temps to get skin cancer later in life.

[Dr.Deepak]

Nice to hear they were benign. Yea senile warts or Sk are common in old age..Psoriasis seems to be controlled during summer but be sure to prepare for winter again. Continue your treatment so it won't get worse during winter..

[micro_guy]

sorry to hear about that... and i hope it would be fine now. You should have tried wart remover for once, after all it's all fine. Hope it won't come on your skin again, lol.

[vencasand]

well it was a discolored spot on my back. and it was growing. i didn't want to take chances. that is why i had them biopsied.