Fifty Plus (50+) - Actinic Keratosis, Skin Cancer and the like

Actinic Keratosis (http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/actinic_keratosis.html), Skin Cancer and the like

We have been confronting a number of my wife's medical issues this last year (post herpatic neuralgia, knee replacement, etc.), and I have sort of been putting my issues on hold.

However, I have known that my skin is getting worse and worse with more and more AK, and possibly more skin cancer.

Additionally, the dermatologist I was going to is a total non-communicator, and it seemed that every time I went in I got inspected and then referred for Mohs surgery (http://www.mohscollege.org/AboutMMS.html)- never pleasant.

I was really thinking that I would need an entire face transplant this time.

I changed dermatologists to someone with whom I can communicate a bit. I got thoroughly inspected. Appears I have perhaps one small skincancer this time, but what I thought was cancer all over my face turns out to be severe AK.

So, I am getting the Carac ointment treatment. ABout 10 days now. My face is bright red with the Carac killing the old skin.

But, it is treatable without any surgery. There is too much to freeze off.

In my errant youth, I was totally and continuously sun exposed, and that is what is causing the trouble today. We didn't even know about sunscreen. That is what is causing my problems now.[

Anyone else out there "skin challenged?"

There's a lady that lives near us that has the same problem and she taking it very well and the treatment is working. I have to go every year to get spots on my face frozen. It's a lot better than it was years ago where they have too keep cutting on you. If that was the case I could haunt house's. Anyhow good luck, I hope the treatment works for you.

30 block. I don't leave home without it. Ever.

30 block. I don't leave home without it. Ever.

I don't either. But there has been a lot of research in Australia, which treats sun screens as a medicine, and evaluates their effectiveness. According to my friend's dermatologist, most of the American brands are not very good, particularly those made by companies who also sell tanning products. I have a whole page of material written by this dermatologist with recommended Australian products. The only product I recognize is Neutrogena.

Sadly, using 30 now does nothing to help the damage from my childhood.

thirteen in a row.

thirteen in a row.

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I set the record for most consecutive threads in which I had the last post, hence my name taking up almost half of the active posts list.

Hey, its not much but its my record.

I hope things turn out well for both you and your wife.

I'm not quite where you are yet but I am starting to get concerned. I had my first skin cancer last year, a basal cell carcinoma that looked just like a pink pencil-end eraser on my upper left arm. It seemed to appear literally over night. At the same time I noticed another one that looked just like it in almost the exact same spot on my other arm; that one disappeared in a matter of weeks (huh?) but the one on my left arm remained and was finally removed and found to be cancerous.

In my early 20s I had a scaly patch on my left temple near my eye. I went to a dermatologist who was known for being overly alarming and thinking he had to remove every mole and bump right away. Anyway he prescribed a chemical burn treatment on that spot on my face and told me that it would turn only pre-skin-cancer skin red, it would not affect healthy skin. So, as an experiment I put some on my nose, my forehead, and my chin. They all turned red!!! :eek: That freaked me out so I stopped and continued only on the original spot which eventually did clear up.

I am fair-skinned w/ freckles, tho' I do tan so I worked at it when I was younger. I wish I could undo all those days at the beach and pool..... where's that tan now??? It's been replaced by tiny bumps and larger bumps and small pigmentations here and there. My hands look 10 years older than my face. On my face I wear a moisturizer with SPF 15 every single day.

Yesterday I ordered a skin-protective long sleeve shirt from http://www.skin-savers.com. Every time I ride my bike during the day I wear long sleeves.

About the Neutrogena sunscreen.... I tried the Neutrogena Ultrasheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 55. It claims to go on light but it left a while film on my face that looked like a thin layer of milk. After the ride I arrived home to see little pieces of it all caked all over my face.:eek: The tube says to apply liberally and I don't think I went overboard.

I've seen recommendations here for an Australian sunscreen called Blue Lizard, and other one whose name I can't remember now. The concern I have about sunscreens is applying them every day to the skin which is a giant organ through which everything we put on it is absorbed into the body. I wonder about the long-term effects of years of absorption of some of these chemicals into our bodies.

Jen

I set the record for most consecutive threads in which I had the last post, hence my name taking up almost half of the active posts list.

Hey, its not much but its my record.

Perhaps we should contact Guinness Records?

I've seen recommendations here for an Australian sunscreen called Blue Lizard, and other one whose name I can't remember now. The concern I have about sunscreens is applying them every day to the skin which is a giant organ through which everything we put on it is absorbed into the body. I wonder about the long-term effects of years of absorption of some of these chemicals into our bodies.

Jen

Blue Lizard is one of the names on the list I got.

Perhaps we should contact Guinness Records?
I've already contacted Guiness Stout.

For years I had problems with AK on my bald head and face. My Dermotologist finally came up with the idea fof me using Aldara cream 5% and Tazorac .05% at the same time. Used this with very good results. Ask your Derm. about it.

There is something called the "Iceberg effect" you doctor should have cautioned you about -- mine didn't and I got a real surprise. For eack AK you can see there are others under the skin. Somestimes the visible damage is only the tip of a truly Titanic iceberg. I used Effudex to treat my facial AKs. Effudex is a topical chemo that only attacks the fast growing cells. It is good for clearing out AK damage from the face (I think it is the same chemical as Carac). About the third week my face looked like raw hamburger with freezer burn. I posted a picture as a cautionary lesson for my kids and nephews. It is too gross to post here but feel free to take a look (http://www.heffernans.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Effudex) if you are interested (click on the thumnails to see full size images). If you get a reaction as bad as mine, you will probably need some hydrocodone for the late 3rd week. Also, when the itching gets bad toward the end, slather on Vaseline jelly after you apply the ointment -- it works wonders to reduce the severe itching. The follow-up steriod cream didn't do much for me at all. Vaseline was better.

I picked up to long sleeve wicking jerseys from Academy for $12 a piece.

There is something called the "Iceberg effect" you doctor should have cautioned you about -- mine didn't and I got a real surprise. For eack AK you can see there are others under the skin. Somestimes the visible damage is only the tip of a truly Titanic iceberg. I used Effudex to treat my facial AKs. Effudex is a topical chemo that only attacks the fast growing cells. It is good for clearing out AK damage from the face (I think it is the same chemical as Carac). About the third week my face looked like raw hamburger with freezer burn. I posted a picture as a cautionary lesson for my kids and nephews. It is too gross to post here but feel free to take a look (http://www.heffernans.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Effudex) if you are interested (click on the thumnails to see full size images). If you get a reaction as bad as mine, you will probably need some hydrocodone for the late 3rd week. Also, when the itching gets bad toward the end, slather on Vaseline jelly after you apply the ointment -- it works wonders to reduce the severe itching. The follow-up steriod cream didn't do much for me at all. Vaseline was better.

And you have a nice day too!:D

I picked up to long sleeve wicking jerseys from Academy for $12 a piece.
George, is there a web site for Academy?

What does AK look/feel like? Is it a scaly patch like I had in my 20s?

Also.......... does your dermatologist approve of cycling with exposed arms/legs as long as you wear a good sunscreen? Is an approved (on the list) sunscreen as effective as sun-protective apparel, or nearly so? I'd love to ride with my arms exposed but I'm scared of the long-term effects, and you gotta make sure you applly it to every single itty-bitty spot of exposed skin, whereas sun-protective apparel covers it all.

http://www.aocd.org/images_ddd/actinic_keratosis_1.gif

BTW, I will not be held hostage by this condition. I will use common sense prevention and treatment.

BTW, I will not be held hostage by this condition. I will use common sense prevention and treatment.
Ditto. I still go out in the sun regularly but I always use sun screen if it will be for more than 15 minutes or so. I wear short sleeve shirts cycling.

Sorry, I just noticed you provided a link to read all about AK.:o

I'd like to know if an SPF 30 (or more) sunscreen is sufficient to prevent further damage and exposure for frequent riding with short sleeves. I'd like to try that option on hot (90s and above) days... on the other hand it's much easier and faster to just put on a long-sleeve, sun-protective, micromesh jersey and just not ride when it gets that hot...

http://www.bcm.edu/news/item.cfm?newsID=650

Here is an article from the web




Too much sun isn't a bright idea

HOUSTON -- (July 10, 2006) -- When it comes to protecting your skin from the sun's harmful rays, it's best to mind your SPFs.

Many people have heard of Sun Protection Factor, but few understand the difference between SPF 15, 30 and 45. SPF indicates how much protection from the sun the product will provide. To determine what works best for you, multiply the SPF by the amount of time it normally takes you to burn. In the example below, 10 minutes has been designated.


SPF 15 x 10 minutes = 150 minutes. This means you can be in the sun approximately 2.5 hours without getting burned.
SPF 30 x 10 minutes = 300 minutes. This indicates you can be in the sun 5 hours without getting burned.
SPF 45 x 10 minutes = 450 minutes. You can stay in the sun approximately 7.5 hours without burning. SPFs higher than 30 or 45 offer only slightly more protection and need to be used by people who are extremely sensitive to the sun. "Sunblocks may work better than sunscreens because they physically block the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from penetrating the skin, unlike sunscreens which contain chemicals that absorb a portion of the UV radiation," said Dr. Ramsey Markus, an assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Sunblocks containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are excellent at preventing UV damage, however some patients prefer sunscreens to sunblock because they tend to be less 'pasty' appearing."

An SPF of 15 is best for daily use by people who spend the majority of their day indoors. An SPF of 30 or greater is better for those who are out in the sun for extended periods of time.

Too much sun early in life can lead to conditions including premature aging, freckling, liver spots, broken blood vessels and skin cancer.

Markus offers the following tips to protect skin from the sun's harmful rays:


Stay inside or seek shade during peak hours of radiation, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tightly woven clothing helps to block radiation from reaching your skin, while loosely woven fabrics allow radiation to pass through.
Use a wide brimmed hat or sun visor to protect your head and neck. Baseball caps do not provide protection for your neck, the sides of your face or your ears.
Even if your sunblock is waterproof or sweatproof, reapply every two hours. Apply generously to all exposed skin surfaces 30 minutes before going outside, and reapply after swimming or after heavy perspiration. "Applying sunblock daily is the most important thing we can do to protect and preserve our skin," Markus said. "Taking the necessary steps to prevent sun damage early in life decreases the chance of developing sun-related conditions later in life."

I had a melanoma removed a few years ago and was concerned about finding a good sunscreen. A friend of mine at Lance Armstrong Foundation recommended Fallene Total Block. I've been using in ever since. It's a 65 SPF and is works for both UVA and UVB. You can get it at drugstore.com.

same problem but on my hands and arms.
I use a cream called Fluocinonide works very well

George, is there a web site for Academy?



http://www.academy.com/ They may still have some, but it was a close out, good luck.

I worked outside most of my like and I did wear long sleeves, but I never did put anything on my face. The freezing, doesn't even show on my face. I always had it in the back of my mind that I would have to get parts of my face taken off, but lucked out.

I have had quite a few AK lesions and froze a lot off, then was put on Aldera Cream. Not cheap, but effective. Effudex I believe is 5-Flourouracil and is an anticancer topical cream. Don't know much about it.
My dermatologist agrees that the best sunscreens and blocks are not available here in USA. We live close to Canada and buy a load of it when we get up thee. I personally use the highest number I can get, although as someone pointed out, there is diminishing returns over 45.
The foreign susncreen block BOTH ulatraviolet A and B, whereas the American stuff only blocks UVA. It is a bit more expensive, but a heck of a lot cheaper than prescriptions for Aldera and such.
So I slopt it on liberally when I ride, go fishing, etc. I stay white during the summer, but with skin, white is healthy, tan is the body's reaction to UV radiation DAMAGE! Forget the old description of "a healthy tan!" Pure nonsense - more than that it is dangerous nonsense! And tanning booth people tell absolute lies regarding their machines and UVA and UVB. I'm a retired physician and if I had ever told lies and peddled a dangerous product like they do I would have been sued many times, and rightly so!

My preference is also for Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55 with helioplex (http://www.neutrogena.com/sun.asp?mainVal=sun&subVal=sun) added. Haven't had so much as one bit of skin problems, and that's why I'll continue to use these fine products for substantial protection.

Yep, I use the same Neutrogena product, and my skin is just as milky white after exposure as it was before. :(