DETROIT – I’m doing alright. It’s been five days since I had the surgery on my cheek and the great news is the cancer is gone.
Background: Karen Drew: I underwent Mohs surgery for skin cancer
I want to share how I detected the cancer. I found a mark on my cheek, which may not seem like much, but my dad died from melanoma, so I’ve been going in for yearly checkups and carefully examining every mark and mole on my skin, worried it might happen to me.
It was a dry, flaky spot that started to bleed sometimes when I washed my face.
I went to my dermatologist, Dr. Steven Grekin, to get it checked out. A small biopsy was taken and it came back as basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.
There are roughly 3.6 million cases diagnosed annually, so what I was dealing with wasn’t unique, but I’m sharing my story as a reminder for everyone to get their skin checked.
Not all basal cell carcinomas have the same appearance. They can appear as an open sore, a shiny bump, a reddish patch or irritated area, or maybe a scar-like area that is flat white or yellow in color.
Dr. Michael Whitworth was my surgeon for Mohs surgery, a fairly fast in-office procedure where they numb your skin, mark the spot and remove thin layers, one layer at a time. The doctor then examines the layer under the microscope to make sure all the cancer is gone.
It took two skin layer removals to remove all the cancer.
Bandaged up, the doctor told me to come back in six days to get the stitches out.
Back at work, I have a lesson and a story to share: use sunblock, reapply, limit sun exposure and get your skin checked.