Skin Cancer: Journeys of Hope

Phyllis Shepard had traveled from California to Illinois in October 2007 to visit her sister, a retired registered nurse, when her sister suggested she have a dermatologist look more closely at a spot on her nose. Phyllis waited to act on her sister's advice. Six months later, after changing her medical provider to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), Phyllis scheduled a complete physical exam with Dr. Rina Kadakia, her new family medicine doctor at PAMF's Redwood Shores Health Center.

"I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from my forehead 40 years earlier," Phyllis said, "but makeup could no longer conceal the spot on my nose, and Dr. Kadakia agreed that I should see a specialist." Dr. Kadakia referred Phyllis to Dr. Jennifer Boldrick, a dermatologist at PAMF's nearby Redwood City Center. "I called Dr. Boldrick right after leaving Dr. Kadakia's office and got an appointment with her the following Thursday," Phyllis said. "After examining me, she ordered a biopsy the same day, and by 5 p.m. the following Monday, she called with the results: I had a basal cell carcinoma."

Phyllis was referred to Dr. Kirsten Vin-Christian, a dermatologist at PAMF's Palo Alto Center who is certified in Mohs surgery, a highly precise technique to excise recurrent skin cancers while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.

In June 2008, Phyllis had Mohs surgery to remove the basal cell carcinoma on her nose, and the same week spent a night in the hospital so that PAMF reconstructive surgeon Roy Hong could repair the tissue with skin grafts. Her husband and two daughters, both in their 30s, were there to help with her recovery. After seeing what their mother went through, Phyllis' daughters made appointments to get their skin checked. The younger daughter's dermatologist found two basal cell carcinomas on the forehead and lip, so she had Mohs surgery, too.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, affecting more than one million people in the United States each year. The majority of basal cell carcinomas develop on body parts that are exposed to the sun, which is why it is so important to use sunscreen or protective clothing to shield exposed areas. With early detection, most basal cell carcinomas can be easily treated, so self-examination is recommended between annual screenings to watch for any changes in the shape, color or size of skin lesions.

For Phyllis and her daughters, a family history of basal cell carcinoma also proved to be a major risk factor.

"Now I make sure to wear sun block every day and always wear a hat in the sun," Phyllis said. "I have my skin checked every six months. I am so glad that my doctors were able to remove the cancer and repair the
damaged areas."

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