Skin cancer awareness- always get it checked out
I’m a melanoma survivor since 2013, it was a recurring mole on my neck, had a wide local incision which thankfully removed it all. Relieved, I thought that was my experience with skin cancer finished but last year I discovered I now have anal cancer which is ‘squamous cell cancer’ in my anus, never thought for a second that skin cancer could develop in that area, I had chemotherapy and 35 sessions of radiotherapy, not at all pleasant and extremely painful, now on a regular three monthly review with oncologist, healing well and scans are clear however I just wanted to raise awareness of the importance of getting checked out if you are ever unsure if something doesn’t look or feel right, early detection is so important for all skin cancers. My fear now is will they recur, always a worry and in the back of my mind. Would love to hear from other anal cancer patients who are experiencing similar worries. Thanks
Hi
. I can understand why you are so nervous. Thank goodness your cancer was caught in time to treat it. I hope the treatments were super successful and that your worries will eventually prove unfounded. Here is an article that discusses lesser-known skin cancers, including cancer that occurs in the anus: https://skincancer.net/basics/body-part-locations. Though I'm sure you are very familiar with it, I thought you might find the article interesting. I hope you hear from others who have dealt with anal cancer and will share their stories. Please know we are here for you whenever you need us. Warm wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
