In this new episode of Symptoms, dermatologist Dima Haidar highlights the terrible consequences that fear of consulting a doctor can have. In the space of a few months, his 40-year-old patient saw her health deteriorate.
“She came to the emergency room with an impressive lesion on the back of her head,” says Dr. Haidar. Despite the alarming appearance of the wound, the patient hesitated to consult, hoping that the problem would resolve itself. “When she arrived, the smell was striking, and the lesion had the appearance of a cauliflower”, explains the dermatologist.
After a series of questions, Dr. Haidar immediately performs local anesthesia and performs a biopsy of this infection. The verdict is in, his patient is affected by squamous cell carcinoma. It is the most common skin cancer in France. Currently, it is estimated that between 141,000 and 244,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, potentially making skin cancer the most common type of cancer in France. The majority of these cancers are linked to excessive exposure to UV rays, whether from the sun or artificial sources such as tanning booths…
After three or four weeks, if you have a wound that is not healing, this is not normal.
Dima Haidar
In this latest episode of “Symptoms”, the dermatologist specifies what should be a warning: “After three or four weeks, if you have a wound that does not heal, it is not normal. Anything that looks like a wound , buds, bleeds easily or oozes without healing should be cause for concern.” Carcinomas, for example, can appear as “wounds that don’t heal.”and in advanced cases, even emit unpleasant odors as was the case for her patient.
Other skin cancers also include melanoma. Being more aggressive, the latter requires monitoring any abnormal skin spots. In the episode 68 bonus, Dr. Haidar explains the “ABCDE” rule: “we must be vigilant for moles that evolve and are asymmetrical (A), with irregular edges (B), uneven color (C), a diameter greater than 6 mm (D) and any change (E).”
Thus, early diagnosis can greatly improve the chances of recovery. “It is not because we are afraid that we should not consult, because waiting can have serious consequences,” underlines the dermatologist, emphasizing the importance of regular monitoring to counter the risks of recurrence.
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