You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

skin cancer and lupus

i have spent a fair amount of time trying to get reliable information on this.

doctors agree that our medication has no bearing increasing the risk of organ cancers.
and they also agree that our healthier lifestyle, (better eating habits and excercise), actually reduce our overall chance of cancer.

but no-one will talk about soft tissue and skin cancers specifically.

today i had 2 suspect spots removed.
one is an active cancer, it is located on the back of my leg, high up on my thigh.
this is an area that does not get any sunshine. I rarely wear shorts, and even then this area is above my short line.

i also know of a few female members who have unfortunatelly had suspect lumps also.

my thoughts are that our medication does actually increase our risk.
my reasoning is that :
when we take our medication, we reduce our immune system.
when we are inbetween medication doses, our immune system tries to go into overdrive.

this constant overload and underload causes chaos within our bodies.

i have spoken to a skin specialist (who specialises in skin cancers)
he also knows me personally, and knows of my lupus.
his thought is my idea is sound.... but there is no studies so-far to test this type of reaction to our medications.

it is believed to be a link between strong doses of plaquenil, (much more than we take), and cancers.
but once again there is no positive study for this either.

the main reason i am discussing this is.....................
please examine your own bodies.
if you find anything suspect.... seek medical advise.
just because an area is not exposed to the sun, it is not safe from skin cancers.
just because a mamogram does not find a lump, it does not mean you can stop self examination.
males see your doctor about a blood test for prostrate cancer. (this cancer kills many males, but if detected is one of the easiest to cure).

we need to be aware that we may be at increased risk.
and check ourselves regularly.

Wow Steve, just yesterday I googled skin cancer, because I have this spot on my face, right on my cheekbone, which when it started looked like a pimple, but now months later, it is a small raised spot, which is crusty all the time. It feels like a scap, but it never comes off, even when I try to scratch it off.
I researched it and it seems to be a pre- cancerous growth. I will make an appointment with a Dermatologist today.

Debbie

I may have been dealt a bad hand, but at least I'm still playing with a full deck. ( most of the time anyway).

Wow Steve, just yesterday I googled skin cancer, because I have this spot on my face, right on my cheekbone, which when it started looked like a pimple, but now months later, it is a small raised spot, which is crusty all the time. It feels like a scap, but it never comes off, even when I try to scratch it off.
I researched it and it seems to be a pre- cancerous growth. I will make an appointment with a Dermatologist today.

Debbie

Debbie--

My Mom's kinda started out looking like a pimple and eventually looked like a larger, tear-shaped water blister.

So sorry for this newest problem, Steve. I think we should always be careful of everything when it comes to our bodies just because of our illness and our meds. I am glad you found it and hopefully it was found soon enough that it isn't going to cause any lasting trouble.

Get yours checked Debbie!

MariSuccess is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

I started this thread, because I have noticed just how common skin cancer is becoming. at the clinic I went to, 48% of all people who were screened needed a referral to there doctor. of all those who were referred over 80% needed the doctors to take some form of action, (remove something). not every instance is a cancer, but there is too many people taking things for granted. skin cancer is still something to treat seriously. soft tissue cancers are not usually referred to in most cancer surveys. but ask any woman who has needed to take action to remove a lump, it is very scarey when it happens to you. and prostrate cancer is now listed as one of the leading types of cancer that cause death..... yet it is one of the easiest to treat. sometimes we need to be reminded to look after ourselves. just because we do not spend long times in the sun, we are not immune to these cancers.

The autoimmune can also adversely affect other components of the immune system, besides what the meds will impact. Of primary concern would be the "natural killer" cellls. Mine were practically non-existant when i got my cancer (over 25 years ago now). The CVID definitely also impacts that for me. I've got all sorts of "suspect" spots on my face, arms & back that me, the wife and docs all watch. I think that besides getting "sensitive" to the sun from the lupus (and my meds), it also contributes (the lupus), since several of my "suspect" spots are old lupus sores, so it does something strange to the skin cells... My opinion, not based on any facts... tic

"There but for the grace of God, go I."
"... His mercy endureth for ever."

I had two moles removed a few years ago because they looked suspect. One of them was no trouble but the other was apparently bordering on being dangerous.

Now I have a lump on the back of my neck which has been there for over a year. They wouldn't do anything about it at first because I was pregnant, then the GP wanted to wait and see if it got smaller after I'd had the baby and now she says she actually doesn't know what it is but that it doesn't look like anything sinister to her. I've asked for it to be removed just the same, really don't need a second head growing out my neck, the one I've got causes me trouble enough! Haven't recieved an appointment yet but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later because lets be honest, you just never know what's going on under your skin! x

Numpty:- (num-p-tee) dialect, chiefly Scot, ~n. 1. a bumbling fool: one who is intellectually challenged. 2. widely known in Scotland as an MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament).

My dermatologist found a melanoma on my ankle in January. It was a small mole that had darkened somewhat. I was lucky to find it early but still needed a skin graft from my hip to replace the cancer area that was removed. It is very important to be familiar with your moles and report any changes to your dermatologist. Melanoma can be treated if caught early but can be deadly if it spreads.