Living and working outdoors has its drawbacks. My lifestyle is such that I am outdoors much of the time (farm work, gardening, walking, riding, running, motorcycling, boating). I fear to die from skin cancer. This fear is well-founded, having Irish born parents. My mother died from melanoma in her eighties. Like her, I want to live long enough so that I can see my children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, my skin cancer concerns have been realised. I am fastidious about regular skin checks because I have had many basal and squamous cell cancers removed recently, and in the past. The images below (Read More) reveal the various stages of Efudix treatment. Fear not, your skin improves in a matter of weeks.
Although I am conscious of sun protection (sunscreen, hats, long sleeves) much of the damage occurred in my earlier years.
Specific treatment of facial skin damage reveals the effects of Efudix, a cream applied for a few weeks to attack the pre-cancerous and cancerous cells.
Efudix treatment
Efudix is used to treat solar keratoses, also known as actinic keratoses or sunspots. They are rough, red, scaly, or crusty spots on the skin that are caused by too much exposure to sunlight. They are more common on sun-exposed areas, such as the face, nose, ears, chest, forearms, and back of the hands. Although generally harmless, there is a small risk that they may eventually turn into skin cancer.
Where there are problem spots, Efudix burns off the cells. The red spots in the photo indicate the problematic cells. These appear after about 7-11 days. This is followed by blistering, peeling, and cracking (within 14-21 days) with occasional open sores and some discomfort. The treated skin will then flake away. The redness of the skin will continue for some time after Efudix is stopped.
Although I am conscious of sun protection (sunscreen, hats, long sleeves), I suspect that much of the damage occurred in my earlier years.
Squamous cell cancer
Two years later, I was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer on my left arm. Having obtained a referral to a dermatologist, I made an appointment and was booked in for a biopsy. As the same part of the arm had been scraped several years earlier, the dermatologist made the decision to remove the lesion. The image below indicates the seriousness of skin damage.
Fortunately, the wound healed really well and the stitches were removed after ten days. A follow-up appointment is scheduled for 6 months.
You may notice another small lesion to the right of the stitches. I am treating this little ‘item’ independently with Efudix. It hasn’t been identified (or diagnosed by anyone as yet) but to me, it doesn’t look any different to my other skin cancers. It will need treatment too.