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Pre-cancerous skin condition (Actinic keratosis).


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As a white boy growing up on a tropical island (Bermuda) I was exposed to blazing sun and multiple sunburns over many summers in only a bathing suit or shorts. Now at “a certain age” I am paying the price. I went to Dermika Clinic and was diagnosed with the pre-cancer skin condition (many spots) with one that had actually developed to a small pea shaped boil like lump. Dr. Ana there excised it professionally and sent it to the lab for testing and here is the result (Google translate):

Microscopic Description: Epidermis with hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis and irregular acantosis…and it goes on

Diagnosis: Carcinoma Escamocelular, well differentiated. Tumor free surgical borders.

In other words it was the lessor evil and she got it all but it could of progressed to something more serious if left untreated, hence my posting here as a warning. Also a question. These pre-cancerous spots are turning up regularly and the treatment for this is liquid nitrogen at 700 pesos a treatment there (10 minutes). Anyone know of this available here at a lesser cost? Also I am using a cream called Oleoderm that seems to help with the bruising problem that is associated with this condition. I spent a lot of time with Dr. Google and came across Fluorouracil cream (5-FU) that seems like a possible new treatment. Brand names: Carac® Cream, Efudex® Cream, Efudex® Solution, Fluoroplex® Cream. Anyone know if this is available here and where? So all of you of “a certain age” please be aware of this potential problem and do not take any chances.

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, gringohombre said:

As a white boy growing up on a tropical island (Bermuda) I was exposed to blazing sun and multiple sunburns over many summers in only a bathing suit or shorts. Now at “a certain age” I am paying the price. I went to Dermika Clinic and was diagnosed with the pre-cancer skin condition (many spots) with one that had actually developed to a small pea shaped boil like lump. Dr. Ana there excised it professionally and sent it to the lab for testing and here is the result (Google translate):

Microscopic Description: Epidermis with hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis and irregular acantosis…and it goes on

Diagnosis: Carcinoma Escamocelular, well differentiated. Tumor free surgical borders.

In other words it was the lessor evil and she got it all but it could of progressed to something more serious if left untreated, hence my posting here as a warning. Also a question. These pre-cancerous spots are turning up regularly and the treatment for this is liquid nitrogen at 700 pesos a treatment there (10 minutes). Anyone know of this available here at a lesser cost? Also I am using a cream called Oleoderm that seems to help with the bruising problem that is associated with this condition. I spent a lot of time with Dr. Google and came across Fluorouracil cream (5-FU) that seems like a possible new treatment. Brand names: Carac® Cream, Efudex® Cream, Efudex® Solution, Fluoroplex® Cream. Anyone know if this is available here and where? So all of you of “a certain age” please be aware of this potential problem and do not take any chances.

 By the way this condition seems to be confined to my forearms but am keeping watch in other areas.

 

 

 

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Dra. Marta is at LCS on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. You sign up in advance at the LCS office. If the area in question is treated with liquid nitrogen, it costs 100 pesos per area. If the area is questionable, you can make an appointment to see her at her office for excision and biopsy.

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4 minutes ago, nolajoe said:

Dra. Marta is at LCS on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. You sign up in advance at the LCS office. If the area in question is treated with liquid nitrogen, it costs 100 pesos per area. If the area is questionable, you can make an appointment to see her at her office for excision and biopsy.

Nolajoe was your treatment at LCS recent. Whilst you mention 100 pesos per area, I recall my treatment was much more expensive, like 100 pesos per spot and my 5/8 spots  cost more than your "per area"...so I guess my question is how big is the area for 100 pesos???

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I was in Dra Martha's Office for Liquid Nitrogen treatment (non-cancerous) and the price for one session was 800pesos (if I remember correctly) The follow up treatment was 250 pesos. That was about 18 months ago. Seems like she is much more reasonable at LCS.  Liquid Nitrogen was recommended by her but it was not  the right answer for my issue .

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Aldara, a glycoalkaloid cream. Made from a member of the tomato/potato/eggplant/peppers family. A friend asked me about this medication he was taking, Aldara that seemed to be making it worse. I happened to be reading about it at the same time and told him that it eats through unhealthy cell walls and stops at healthy ones. Sure enough, in a week or so his bald head was smooth as a baby's bottom...obviously it negates the need for diagnosis and expensive treatments/follow ups so the doctors aren't big fans.

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Thank you. Now I have to ask how this medication is applied as I see it comes in Sobres (envelopes?) which implies to me that it is a powder, not a cream as I had first assumed. I have been using a salve I received from a dermatologist but it is having no effect. The good part is it only cost 200p for a tue of the ointment.

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Dra Martha does charge less when at LCS, it is a community service. The cap there is $ 500.00, so that is less expensive if you have many spots. She treated me for squamous cell cancer on my face, did dig deep but got everything out. I go for a check up every so often, usually at LCS. I had the beginnings of something again and she put something on it. After two weeks a scab fell off and that was that. I didn't think she was expensive. Check her out, I am sure you will like her.

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I have seen Dra. Andrea at Dermika for Solar (Actinic) Keratosis several times now, and the liquid nitrogen treatment does not work for me.  The spots and scabs just come back.  There are a number of options listed on Dr. Google for this condition.  The Fluorouacil cream method takes about 3 days on the head and looks awful and is painful and itchy.  In the next couple of weeks I am going for the Picata treatment.  This is a liquid that is applied by the Dra. over a three-day period and is supposed to take care of the problem.  It is much more expensive but she says it gets rid of the spots/scabs.  The liquid is not available at the Dermika Pharmacy but kept in the Dra.'s office.  I will see Dra. Andrea on a Tuesday, she will leave instructions for another Dra. the next day, and she will finish off on the procedure on the Thursday.  The  estimated cost is around 4,000 pesos.  Yes, it costs more, but is over with very quickly.

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5 hours ago, luvsdawgs said:

Dra Martha does charge less when at LCS, it is a community service. The cap there is $ 500.00, so that is less expensive if you have many spots. She treated me for squamous cell cancer on my face, did dig deep but got everything out. I go for a check up every so often, usually at LCS. I had the beginnings of something again and she put something on it. After two weeks a scab fell off and that was that. I didn't think she was expensive. Check her out, I am sure you will like her.

Yes it is a "community" service, there used to be a couple of other US dermatologist working with her who gave their time free.....Are you saying the cap is 500 dollars or pesos for treatment  at LCS ???............so what is the "cap" when you visit with her in her office?? ....do they measure the amount of time their finger is on the trigger or how many spots they do???

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No, they measure the amount of time it usually takes to count your spots, then divide by their cap while measuring the length of two standard finger joints! The trigger vs time calculation is only utilized when the all other extrapolations fail? Best of Luck!

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3 hours ago, mudgirl said:

I know it's no laughing matter, but really, our entire bodies are potentially "pre-cancerous". Pre-cancerous does not mean it WILL turn into cancer.

As I mentioned, one did but she got it out in time so all I am saying this can be serious stuff.  

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16 hours ago, Alfa said:

Thank you. Now I have to ask how this medication is applied as I see it comes in Sobres (envelopes?) which implies to me that it is a powder, not a cream as I had first assumed. I have been using a salve I received from a dermatologist but it is having no effect. The good part is it only cost 200p for a tue of the ointment.

when I saw it it was in small plastic squeeze tubes in a cream...maybe sobres means packets?

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11 hours ago, cafemediterraneo said:

when I saw it it was in small plastic squeeze tubes in a cream...maybe sobres means packets?

Sobre (used as a noun) means envelope. Also used for mailing envelopes. A little confusing, because sobre (used as a preposition) also means "over, above or upon".

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On 2017-10-01 at 11:37 PM, Islander said:

I was in Dra Martha's Office for Liquid Nitrogen treatment (non-cancerous) and the price for one session was 800pesos (if I remember correctly) The follow up treatment was 250 pesos. That was about 18 months ago. Seems like she is much more reasonable at LCS.  Liquid Nitrogen was recommended by her but it was not  the right answer for my issue .

If you don't mind answering what was the condition?  I am curious as to what it was she had misdiagnosed.  I am getting Liquid Nitrogen treatment in Vallarta right now on my face and look horrible. If this does not work she says a mother round and then look at other options - which is scary given the way I look right now 3 days in from the 6 spots she treated on my face.

 

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