Dr. Cranquis' Mumbled Gripes
(Disclaimer: Questions related to medical topics will be answered to the best of Dr. Cranquis' (and Google's) knowledge, but the internet-delivered wisdom on this blog CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT SUBSTITUTE for your Real-Life Doctor's personal attention + examination, and your own common sense too! If you think you're having a medical emergency, hang up and go email 911. The author of this blog takes no responsibility for any medical, relationship, scholastic, financial, or other decisions you may make based on information found in this blog.)
Fantastic! :)
Guess I’ll start promoting “smoking for weight loss” then! Good grief… This is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
munnin Asks:
I have noticed your posts on skin cancer, and I had a question. I recently got my medical insurance back. (Yay!) Should I see a doctor about a few moles I have on my back? I made a big mistake and asked google about the signs of melanoma. I have EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! I keep putting it off, because I am 23 and a single mother, the last thing I want to hear is I have the worst skin cancer there is.
I have a large mole on my lower back that I have had since I was a small child and it doesn’t bother me so much, it has changed shape a bit in recent years though. The one that concerns me is on my upper back and it itches…a lot. It’s rather small, but only been there a few years. And like I said looks like melanoma. I really didn’t put a whole lot of stock into google, until I saw an article that said another sign is a fleshy or clear colored small bump on the face usually around the nose, has little red vessels in it and grows back when removed. I have one of these next to my nostril in the crease. I removed it twice now and it keeps coming back…not to mention bleeds hell… I know I shouldn’t have done that but it’s really irritating to have there when I have really bad hay fever and my nose itches almost all the time. So there you have it, my paranoid self thinking I have cancer… My father also has moles all over his back, mostly on the top, which turns out is another sign of melanoma! So basically what do you think? How soon should I go to the doctor or should I even be worrying about it at all? A little more info: I have been sunburned A LOT in my life, once at a nudist resort…I fell asleep in the sun naked and everything from my scalp to my toes burned pretty badly… I’m not fair skinned, I am a quarter Sicilian and I take a lot after that side so my complexion is actually pretty dark and I have dark hair and eyes as well. Thanks for your help doc!
cranquis Said:
Hey there, friend —
When it comes to skin cancer, I never get upset at someone for googling up some pictures and descriptions for comparison. But I think you need to see a dermatologist. The moles deserve a good once-over, possibly some biopsies if the doc suspects anything based on how they look. Your history of multiple (and sometimes SEVERE) sunburns trumps your “pretty dark complexion”. Melanoma IS the “worst skin cancer there is” — but is also very easy to treat if you catch it early. Go have a skin doc check ‘em out and help put your paranoia to rest.
The bleeding recurrent “bump on your face” (at your nasolabial fold, from your description) doesn’t sound like melanoma to me. I’d be thinking basal cell carcinoma for that spot, since you’re describing it as a raised minimally-colored bump with “telangiectasias” (tiny blood vessels) on it. That form of skin cancer does NOT metastasize to other parts of the body, but if it’s not removed, it can really jack up the tissue around it. Another reason to see Le Dermatologist!
Good luck!
***Pending Cranquis-Mails: 7; Ask Box: Closed***
I know it’s almost summer, and everyone (including myself) will be spending lots of time in the sun, but this is important to keep in mind.
The ABCDE’s of Skin Cancer Detection!
Dear 16 Year Old Me.
Please Watch
Well, if I’m gonna sit here and get all teary-eyed from watching a 5-minute melanoma-awareness video, then BY GEORGE YOU WILL TOO.
(via mysoulcanbreathe)
Anonymous Asks:
I'm asking this because I have at least twenty freckles on my arms and I have a few on my face and I have a bunch of moles, and the last time I got my blood checked, it was discovered that I had a deficiency. I'm pretty good now, but still, I don't want to bother my personal doctor with something like this ;~;.
cranquis Said:
Hi there, Avogadro’s Avocado –
Hoo boy: Vitamin D, sun exposure, skin cancer = three topics that get people all in a flutter, even in the medical/science realm!
I happen to live in an area of the US that tends towards long cold overcast winters, and so I’ve done a bit of research on Vitamin D, and tend to agree with the people who feel that Vitamin D has a lot of (currently under-used) potential for bolstering immune systems, preventing/fighting cancer, and managing chronic diseases (including multiple sclerosis, depression, and obesity). So, be aware that my advice is very “pro-Vitamin D” – you will likely get many different opinions from other doctors on this topic. (And the recent upswing [fad?] in checking Vitamin D levels is another area where doctors will disagree: about the necessity of checking it, about what levels actually indicate a “deficiency”, and about what to DO with the lab result values.)
Regarding direct sunlight, I think America as a nation gets a bit too “freaked out” about skin cancer and sunlight. Yes, they are definitely connected, and people with strong family histories of melanoma and other skin cancers should definitely be careful with UV exposure from sun. However, when you look at the many overall (possible? probable?) benefits of increasing Vitamin D in the body through daily sunlight exposure, versus the potential accompanying risk of skin cancers (in most people), I think getting 15-20 minutes of daily direct non-sunscreened skin exposure to sunlight is worth it! I attended a conference on Vitamin D once, and the presenting researcher showed some graphs comparing the number of skin cancer cases in Southern US states (which typically have more sunny days) vs skin cancer cases in Northern US states – guess what they found? Southern US states had no greater incidence of skin cancer than Northern states, and the northern states had higher rates of other cancers (breast, others, can’t remember for sure — I couldn’t find my handout from that conference so I could post some references for this, I hope it’ll turn up). Now of course, “correlation does not equal causation”, but still — interesting stuff!
Now, for someone in your case, with all the freckles/moles (and, I assume, fair-colored skin?), you need to be more careful about that sun exposure, not only because of the potential UV-induced cancer-promoting possibility, but also just from the increased risk of sunburning. BUT that doesn’t mean that you can’t get your Vitamin D another way: through supplements. Vitamin D is not easily obtained (in sufficient quantities) from most dietary items, if you’re trying to make up for a deficient blood level. However, you can take over-the-counter Vitamin D (D3) to increase your Vitamin D levels without increasing your sunlight exposure. That might be a safer approach for someone with your skin predispositions.
I think you SHOULD bother your personal doctor about this, since they’ll be better able to discuss the risks/benefits of sunlight exposure for your specific case; and depending on just how low your Vitamin D level is, it may be worth getting onto prescription Vitamin D (D2), which can boost your blood level up faster. Your question is not a silly one, and heck, I assume your doctor was the one who ordered the Vitamin D lab test in the first place – so it’s their responsibility to help you decide what to DO about those lab results!
Good luck!
***Pending Cranquis-Mails: 16***
