Mom Thought She Just Had Dry Skin. Months Later, She Had Hole 'The Size of a Quarter' in Her Nose After Skin Cancer Diagnosis

Yahoo

7 hours ago

Amanda Anderson, 43, received the diagnosis in June after first noticing a "small irritated spot" on her nose in January
NEED TO KNOW
Amanda Anderson, a mother of four, discovered a small spot on her nose that she thought was dry skin
But after several appointments, doctors determined it was actually basal cell carcinoma
She underwent surgery to remove the spot and documented her journey online
A mother of four thought she just had a bit of dry skin on her nose, months before receiving a shocking diagnosis.
Amanda Anderson, 43, from Layton, Utah, first noticed she had a small spot on the side of her nose in January of this year; however, she wasn't initially concerned, as she said her skin often gets dry during the winter months, per SWNS.
Anderson ended up getting the spot checked out just to be on the safe side and was given a cream. When the spot came back and started to bleed and scab, Anderson booked another appointment with the doctor, only to be told she didn't have anything to worry about.
After having a gut feeling that something was wrong, Anderson went to another medic, who then booked her in for a biopsy in June, before the results came back as basal cell carcinoma on June 23. She was scheduled for surgery three days later to remove the spot.
Per the Mayo Clinic, "Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma begins in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off."
"Basal cell carcinoma often appears as a slightly transparent bump on the skin, though it can take other forms. Basal cell carcinoma occurs most often on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, such as your head and neck," the site adds.
Anderson has documented her skin cancer journey on TikTok, writing in the caption of one of her videos, "WEAR YOUR SUNSCREEN!!"
"I had a small irritated spot on my nose for 6 months. I finally went into the dermatologist. It wasn't a huge shock to find out it was Basal Cell Carcinoma," she added.
"Getting it removed was a HUGE shock. I had no idea what I was getting into!" Anderson wrote, sharing in the clip that she'd had Mohs surgery, and that medics ended up having to do three passes.
She wrote over the video per the AP, "It was sooo much bigger than I was expecting," confirming she had 50 plus stitches. The clip featured multiple images showing Anderson's cancer journey, including her having a hole cut from her nose to remove all the cancer cells.
The Mayo Clinic describes Mohs surgery as "a procedure used to treat skin cancer," adding, "This surgery involves cutting away thin layers of skin. Each thin layer is looked at closely for signs of cancer. The process keeps going until there are no signs of cancer."
"The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove all of the skin cancer without hurting the healthy skin around it. Mohs surgery allows the surgeon to be sure that all the cancer is gone. This makes it more likely that the cancer is cured. It reduces the need for other treatments or more surgery," the site states.
Anderson recalled of her initial symptoms, "It was just a little dry spot on the side of my nose," adding, "With it being the winter it's common to have dry patches. I wasn't super concerned at the beginning," per SWNS.
Anderson — whose father, Kirk Romney, 66, has also had skin cancer, and has had over 17 Mohs surgeries to remove cancerous cells from his face, neck and shoulders — insisted, "When I noticed the spot at first I wasn't too concerned."
"It's typical to get dry patches because of the weather here in Utah," she added.
Anderson said of receiving the skin cancer diagnosis, "It's hard to hear. It's on my face and as a woman we do everything we can to make sure our faces look as good as possible."
"I'm obsessed about sun cream and shade - I have been my whole life," she added. "So it was a bit of a gut punch."
Anderson added of doctors removing part of her nose to get the cancer out, "It was about the size of a quarter. They cut above and below the hole and fold the skin over."
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Anderson, who continues to keep her followers updated regarding her skin cancer journey on TikTok, confirmed she won't need further treatment, but will have to have check-ups every six months.
She said of now wanting to warn others, "The damage is done when you're young. I encourage my daughters to put sun cream on underneath their makeup."
"I'm trying to build healthy habits in my kids," Anderson added. "People don't realize you can get sunburnt through the window of a car. We have to take care of our skin like you would your teeth. Skin cancer is so preventable."
PEOPLE has reached out to Anderson for an update on her recovery.
Read the original article on People
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