Vanessa Ogle, 30, in the US, was surprised to discover a red pimple on her left temple. To treat the pimple, she cleaned her skin and applied acne cream, according to the Insider news site (US).
Thanks to her vigilance, Vanessa Ogle discovered early that a small pimple on her skin was cancer.
Despite her meticulous skin care routine, the small pimple wouldn’t go away, so she went to see a dermatologist for a check-up.
The dermatologist, after examining the spot, confirmed that it looked like acne and assured Ms. Ogle that there was no need to worry. But after months of treatment, the spot still did not go away.
At this point, Ms. Ogle began to worry and requested a biopsy to make sure it wasn’t skin cancer. Her dermatologist agreed. The results of the biopsy were expected in two weeks.
But just two days later, she received a call from the hospital. Ms. Ogle knew something was wrong, and the red spot turned out to be basal cell carcinoma.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation (USA), basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common types of skin cancer. In the US alone, more than 3 million cases of basal cell carcinoma are recorded each year.
Ms. Ogle has a family history of this type of cancer. However, when the disease was discovered, her relatives were all between the ages of 50 and 70. Therefore, the fact that Ms. Ogle was diagnosed with cancer at only 30 years old was a surprise.
Just two weeks after the biopsy results, Ms. Ogle underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tumor. The procedure took a few hours. Because the tumor was small and caught early, she only had about a 3-centimeter-long incision on her temple. After the surgery, doctors continued testing to confirm that the cancer cells had been completely removed.
During the following weeks, she had to clean the wound twice a day. Her doctor also recommended that she apply ointment to protect her skin from infection. When the wound healed and the stitches were removed, Ogle noticed a scar. However, it later faded over time.
Thanks to her vigilance against the strange pimple, Ms. Ogle detected the cancer early and treated it easily. She only needed surgery, not chemotherapy or radiation. Currently, she carefully protects her skin from the sun, especially her face. To prevent the cancer from recurring, Ms. Ogle has to have regular check-ups every 6-12 months, according to Insider (USA).
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