Double Whammy, Squamous Cell Carcinoma And Hutchinsons Melanotic Freckle

I wrote this as I decided that I wish I had been more informed and if I had then I wouldn’t be facing the anxiety that I now am. Months ago I noticed a pinkish red bump on my left hand, about the size of a pea,  with a little bit of hardened white skin in the centre. I thought that maybe I had a thorn in it and even tried to dig with a needle. As it had been there for months and I was at my doctors anyway, I showed her and she told me was nothing. A few weeks ago my friend went for her annual skin check, she told me that I should go. I have never had one as although I am very fair, I have never really sunbaked (one bad sunburn in early 20s) and have NEVER had a MOLE. I went anyway. The harmless looking red lump on my hand was identified immediately as a squamous cell carcinoma. The second most malignant form of skin cancer – yet even my own dr didn’t recognise it. I didn’t think it for a second. I mean the media always go on about skin cancer and there are posters everywhere. But they only ever warn you to get moles that appear to be changing checked!!!! So I was perfectly immune! ‘the specialist then proceeded to check all over. He detected a second, completely different form of skin cancer on my back where I could never have seen. It was also NOT A MOLE. It is called a Hutchinsons melantoic FRECKLE –(also known as Lentigo malignant melanoma)  which accounts for 1 in 10 malignant skin cancers. Looked pretty innocent I thought when I saw it on the scanner screen. NOthing like a mole, perfectly flat, light brown, and an odd shape. My friend asked to look at it and when I showed her she even said that if she had seen it on herself would have thought nothing. Ironically, unlike me, my friend has dozens of moles and yet got a clean bill!!
THE WARNING HERE IS THAT EVEN WITHIN EACH TYPE OF CANCER THERE ARE DOZENS OF DIFFERENT LOOKING ONES. DIFFERENT SHAPES, COLOURS, SIZES, TRANSPARENT ONES, FLAT ONES, FAT ONES ………… ANY LESION THAT HAS BEEN THERE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT YOU CANT ACCOUNT FOR, ESPECIALLY IF LOOKS SLIGHTLY IRREGULAR IN SHAPE, MUST BE CHECKED ASPA. Don’t just rely on your family dr as they don’t know all the varieties. Book a skin check at a skin clinic. They have a scanning machine that scans suspicious ones right there and then. Make your family members have a check to and do it every year.
I am only just starting on my journey and to be honest am terrified with all the unknowns. I can only hope I didnt wait too long to get what I thought was a routine skin check. Hopefully the journey is short!
AS I COULDNT POST PICS I HAVE PUT THEM IN MY PROFILE, SO YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW DIFFERENT SKIN CANCERS CAN LOOK. 
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