So awhile back I noticed a black head looking thing on my face, tried to squeeze it pop it nothing so I just figured i was growing another mole after all I am in my mid sixties.
Long story short my Doc suggested I see a dermatologist, she took a scraping of several spots on my face & back, well the two on my face came back as positive for Melanoma carcinoma (awesome) well last Friday I had the one on my chin excised this four inch slice has 45 stiches in it their called micro suturing to help prevent scaring.
The moral of the story SUN SCREEN ON ALL EXPOSED SURFACES, you really don't want to die form something that can be prevented by using a little lotion or spray.
Stephan.
I have several friends that have been where you are. We old bikers spent years in the sun and need to get checked out from time to time. Heal quickly and get back in the wind.
After reading this post, I do need to make an appointment with the skin doctor. That I have been putting off!
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My semi-annual visit to the Dermatologist is this Thursday. I am a stage 4 Melanoma survivor. I am only here because of the great advances in treatment - especially immunotherapy.
I had a mole on my ear lobe last winter, and it was determined that it was melanoma. Part of my earlobe removed (can no longer wear an earring on my left ear!), and had a sentinel node biopsy done in November. After a wait of 7 weeks; cancer had not spread, so was confined to my ear. I now use SPF-50 sunscreen, and have bought a tinted visor for my helmet, hoping it will reduce UV.
My father died of cancer 23 years ago, and it was believed to be melanoma. My brother had stage 3 melanoma 5 years ago, and immunotherapy took care of it.
I start my visits to my dermatolgist next month, and it may go on for several years.
Rick
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worked outdoors in a pipe mill shipping crew for 25 years. Kept a hardhat with a skirt on all the time and sunscreen. Now I see the dermatologist every 6 months for the last 10 years and have had numerous pre cancers removed. One cancer on the side of my head 4 inches long but not a melanoma. I always wear 50 spf now on a ride, long sleeve shirts and a bandanna over my face.
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Paul
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I had a mole on my ear lobe last winter, and it was determined that it was melanoma. Part of my earlobe removed (can no longer wear an earring on my left ear!), and had a sentinel node biopsy done in November. After a wait of 7 weeks; cancer had not spread, so was confined to my ear. I now use SPF-50 sunscreen, and have bought a tinted visor for my helmet, hoping it will reduce UV.
My father died of cancer 23 years ago, and it was believed to be melanoma. My brother had stage 3 melanoma 5 years ago, and immunotherapy took care of it.
I start my visits to my dermatolgist next month, and it may go on for several years.
Rick
I see that you say it may go on for several years, I hope they do not find anything. But, does going to the dermatologist stop after that? It was about 30 years ago when a physician's assistant said I had a lot of skin damage and needed to see a dermatologist. I asked what she meant by a lot of damage. She said all that freckling from the sun, and you need to keep an eye on them for size and shape. I thought to myself that with all the freckling all over my body from years in the sun, how would I possibly know when one of those freckles changed in size or shape, or even one of my moles for that matter. So, 30 years later I go to the dermatologist twice of year. Over the years he has done a number of biopsies and all were negative.
A full face will prevent that. I've worn one since I can't remember when. I always have sunscreen in my trunk. I use it on my arms.
What about all those years before I was old enough to ride when we were tossed outta the house after breakfast and be home before the street lights came on.
What about all my teen years hanging out at the beach. Nobody and I mean Nobody knew about or cared about skin cancer 45 years ago all we cared about was boobs beer and booze.
The best/easiest prescription cream to use is ZYCLARA Imiquimod to treat actinic keratoses, It is a topical (field) applied chemical cream that destroys pre-cancer cells.
It's expensive as I used to get it for $5.00 but insurance moved it to a tier 4. Aldara Imiquimod is cheaper (more complicated) but works well on individual AK's.
Next is OTC Heliocare - I've taken for years. Look it up. I'm a fair skinned 72 yr old. A previous derm. doctor introduced me to this. I've swallowed a capsule every morning for years.
Finally PDT (Photo Dynamic Therapy) is an in office out patient procedure that takes about 90 min. Highly effective for AK's. It causes a sunburn like condition for 1-2 days.
Both my brother and sister as well as a few of my MC riding friends have had life threatening melanoma and Mohs surgery. I'm superstitious so I don't want to pretend like I'm immune to any of the skin cancers. As a boy I was sunburned nearly to death. I've spent a lot of time in the Texas sun.
These are the things I do to mitigate sun damage to my skin. Good luck and don't ignore the Sun.
What about all those years before I was old enough to ride when we were tossed outta the house after breakfast and be home before the street lights came on.
What about all my teen years hanging out at the beach. Nobody and I mean Nobody knew about or cared about skin cancer 45 years ago all we cared about was boobs beer and booze.
Can't wear full-face in those times.
No, I didn't wear my helmet to the beach. I meant riding my motorcycle. It was more of a cool thing to wear a full-face than it was for protection because that's what all the top racers wore. Plus, nobody knew who you were when you pulled off something stupid. I came across my boobs about 45 years ago and married them because of the beer and booze. LOL That was likely one of the best moves I ever made. No joke.
As I write this my "Girl Friend" of the last three years, lies in the other room on oxygen. Her lungs are eaten up with cancer, along with other organs.
It began with a small spot on her nose, then one on her forehead. June of 2022, while on vacation in Nags Head , N.C. she started acting strange. A trip to the ER led to helicopter flight to Greenville, N.C. for emergency brain surgery. Yes the cancer was now in her brain, lungs, pancreas. lymph nodes. The once vibrant outdoors sun lover is dieing, a slow horrible death. It's like double pneumonia,she's drowning for air. I watch, I listen, I wait. Do yourself and family a favor, wear protection from the sun. Get small discolorations checked out. Be SAFE not sorry.
Had a big one burned off the back of my hand and another deep one cut out of my face.
Spent years working on the farm before I ever heard of sunscreen, then spent a total 34 months in Vietnam during the time they were spraying defoliant. Seen a lot worse while I was over there. I consider myself lucky if that is all the damage I got over there.
Not much I can do about it now, except keep them cut out and burned off.
Skin Cancer CAUTION GRAPHIC PICTURE.
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Originally Posted by RickWB
