A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others
Flaky spot on ear lobe that occasionally bleeds...
Hi everyone,
I'm new here. Have a crusty spot on my right ear lobe which has been present for about 10 years.
It appeared quite suddenly and ranges from slightly larger than the head of an eraser in circumference to slightly smaller.
It is slightly raised and flaky - almost like a flat flaky wart.
It bleeds occasionally but only if I pick at it.
If I leave it alone it never hurts and never gets ulcerative.
It is slightly brown in color.
Went to see the dermatologist yesterday and she thought it looked like a basal cell carcinoma and took a biopsy. However, based upon the research have done since returning home, I think it looks much more like a squamish cell carcinoma due to the flakiness; however, it has not grown in size in 10 years and doesn't look nearly as angry as squamish cell carcinomas I have seen online.
So, what is it? Looks more squamish than basal but doesn't look nearly as bad as squamish and hasn't grown in 10 years. More like a slightly tender flaky flat wart. Maybe an isolated psoriasis? I regularly get other wart-like growths on my shoulders that just flake off if you rub them with your fingernail. Sometimes they grow back. Sometimes they don't - yeah they are kinda weird.
Of course we'll know when the labs come back in a week but just trying to figure it out ahead of time since I'm a little worried. I am a 4 year CRC survivor so cancer is not a new thing for me.
Hi mitchellvii and welcome. It is impossible for us to diagnose anyone here and, really, would you want a diagnosis provided by someone you don't know, who doesn't have any medical training and is on the Internet? Probably not...
You have done the right thing by having it biopsied and you will have an answer soon. Trust your dermatologist to give you an answer. I know the waiting time is very hard but you can reduce the anxiety by stayng off the internet research sites and letting the doc do his/her job. The good news is that whether basal or squamous cell, it is highly treatable and very often curable.
Good health,
kermica
Last edited by Kermica; 01-04-2012 at 09:50 PM.
When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown
Age 62
Follicular lymphoma diagnosed August 08, Stage 1
2 rounds (20 each) localized radiation to tumor sites
Remission confirmed July 09
Restaged to Stage 3 May 2010
Recurrence confirmed May 2010 - Watch and Wait commenced - multiple scans with minimal progression.
Significant progression detected in PET scan - December 2012
Biopsy to check for transformation 1/18/2013 - negative for that but full of lymphoma, of course.
Watch and Wait is over
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma diagnosed September 2012. Mohs surgical excision 09/2012. Successful, clean edges all around.
I am less worried about it being a serious danger to my health as I am about having an ugly scar on my ear after all is said and done. At age 51 I need to keep all the pretty I can
I am less worried about it being a serious danger to my health as I am about having an ugly scar on my ear after all is said and done. At age 51 I need to keep all the pretty I can
That is funny! I'm also 51 and I was emotional one day and sobbed, "Where did my cute go?"
If it is the same thing, I have had four of those for a few years on my face. Seems to be in places where I let get too much sun over the years. Crusty, not pretty and bled if I scratched them. Derm said not to worry and kept freezing them off.
Here's the good/bad news. My first chemo for lung cancer the nurse said if there was a trace of minor cancer in my body, these treatments would get rid of it. You guessed it, they went away and have not come back. I hope this is what you have because it is totally controlable. I have Scots-Irish skin and we are prone to these skin cancers so stay on top of it. a
May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour. Born 1960. Diagnosed 4/2011 with one tumor, LUL, NSCLC. Tumor size 1.1 inches. Thoracic surgery 6/1/2011. No action taken. Eight weeks of radiation and chemo. Carbo and Taxol. Follow up with four rounds of Carbo and Alimta.
December 2011 CT scan shows all clear.
April 2012 CT scan shows all clear. July 2012 had several x-rays taken at the chiropractor for shoulder pain. Took them to the onc and nothing suspicious noted. See them again in Oct.
October didn't work out. Pain in the left shoulder continued to worsen and lymph nodes in the supraclavical swelled so I called the onc and they bumped the regular scan up to September 19 and we went for the results on the 24th. The tumor is back and the spread is extensive. Option 1: Try targeting chemos that may work and then on to clinical trials. These would give me about a year or so if the cancer responds. Option 2: Do no treatment and let nature take its course. This will give me six months give or take. As good as I feel right now, I’m going for door #2 and will continue to live well and enjoy myself until I don’t. I’ll keep you posted. Live it up everyone!
7 months into hospice and palliative care. It has been a very good relationship with the organization as a whole with a minor glitch. April 2013 spent the night at hospice facility, PICC line inserted for morphine drip. I said I wouldn’t but, had a hospital bed delivered. Started 10 rounds of palliative radiation to shrink the neck tumor. Busy month for me!
I've taken a couple of nasty falls this last week. (first of & mid-May) Right on the cancer shoulder. So I have a life alert necklace on me now. I wish I could get my hands on a small scooter!
There is another node swelling on the other side of my neck. Still small.
Hi mitchellvii, you were given good advice by all. My suggestion, always report any new unusual situations with your skin. I had a superficial spreading melanoma (treatable) change to a raised nodular type in 16 months after being told 'it looks like' something else. When it began to grow vertically, I insisted it come off. It was indeed a more advanced stage by then. The lesion was Atypical, in that, it didn't fit the usual guidelines, it was pink. Same situation happened last year; I insisted the Derm. take the lesion off. Another melanoma, but much less aggressive, we got it early.
This is not to scare you and you did the right thing, just a word of caution to you and others.
Peggy
Melanoma 1987, 2mm depth. Wide excision with right axillary radical node dissection. No treatment at the time but 'chase,' watch and wait.
I had 2 young daughters.
Several years later 2005, I presented with severe anemia and diagnosed with StageIV Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
8 cycles of R-CHOP, 2 of Velcade. 2005 auto. stem cell
transplant with the prognosis of 'maybe' one year.
I remain in remission.
Thanks for the input folks. Turns out it is a melanoma . .77 mm thick with no swelling to nearby lymph nodes. Going in for further evaluation on 18th. Hopefully just Stage 0 or Stage 1 at worst. Been there a long time and if anything it has gotten smaller and less tender over time.
Good luck, Mitch! Healing energy sent your way; I'll be standing by.
Peggy
Melanoma 1987, 2mm depth. Wide excision with right axillary radical node dissection. No treatment at the time but 'chase,' watch and wait.
I had 2 young daughters.
Several years later 2005, I presented with severe anemia and diagnosed with StageIV Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
8 cycles of R-CHOP, 2 of Velcade. 2005 auto. stem cell
transplant with the prognosis of 'maybe' one year.
I remain in remission.
this is the same thing my husband had or still has on the edge of his upper ear- its white looking and he finally had it frozen off- the doctor did detect cancer but claims he got it all - he wants to re freeze it becaue the tissue around it was so sun damaged- We find this out in July and the dr dropped the ball on getting the results to us- by all means- go get it checked out and follow up with the dr- no news is not always good news- if you know what I mean
oh heck, its only a scar. i got a lot of em. character builders. i was forced into retirement from melanoma and went without a shirt for a lot of years bangin nails. now with all the scars on my back and the one under my arm from removing my lymph nodes, i wouldnt mind being asked from someone that didnt know," what happened?" my reply:"shark attack while swimming.....in lake huron." jus wanaa see the reaction.
glad ya got it early!
stage 3c melanom diagnosis may 2006
wide area excision and axillary surgery june 2006
clinical trial w/ interferon sept 2006
surgery to primary area and axillary to remove recurrance oct 2006
IL-2 january 2007
surgery to remove 3 tumors on back march 2007
IL-2 june 2006( stopped due to risks outweighed benefits
removal of tumor on upper left arm dec 2007
costotransversectomy( remove part of t-7 vert) june 2008
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Originally Posted by mitchellvii
May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour. Born 1960. Diagnosed 4/2011 with one tumor, LUL, NSCLC. Tumor size 1.1 inches. Thoracic surgery 6/1/2011. No action taken. Eight weeks of radiation and chemo. Carbo and Taxol. Follow up with four rounds of Carbo and Alimta. 
. .77 mm thick with no swelling to nearby lymph nodes. Going in for further evaluation on 18th. Hopefully just Stage 0 or Stage 1 at worst. Been there a long time and if anything it has gotten smaller and less tender over time.
