PSA- BCC

Here is my overdue PSA for any of you who get ANY sun exposure.  A few months ago Warren noticed a weird dry patch on his back.  I would have never noticed this patch.   It was barely recognizable.  It stayed for a long time so he decided to check it out at the doctor.   The doctor took one look and said that it looks like a BCC (Basal Cell Carcinoma) - skin cancer.   Luckily this isn't serious if it is caught early so we were not too worried.   Turns out a few days later he got medically evacuated to Singapore to have a biopsy and possible removal.   Well, after the biopsy they figured it out that it was actually cancer and he got the spot removed.   He now has this 3 inch scar on his back - which has healed nicely.  At first I couldn't handle even looking at it....but now it just looks like a normal scar.

Warren has not spent an abnormal amount of time in the sun and he almost always swims with a swim shirt, but he does have fair skin and his mom has a history of skin cancer as well.    I am just SO proud of him for noticing the spot and taking action.  I am sharing the picture of what it looked like originally so anyone who reads this has an idea of what to watch for.  You can read more about BCCs here- http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/basal-cell-carcinoma#1.    Thank goodness he got this removed and now all of us are even more cautious about our sun exposure.

Look for that round, dry, patchy spot.  That was the cancer.