This 'stubborn pimple' turned out to be something much worse – an Aussie woman's shocking story will make you think twice!

RFG · 2025-04-20T09:26:28+1000

Wow, that is alarming.....I have a red spot on my forhead for a while, I will now raise this with my Dr. It occassionaly flares up and bothers me and each time I think I will see my Dr about it, it seems to settle down and I don't follow up with it. On my Drs "to do list now".

Tata · 2025-04-20T10:27:54+1000

So much easier would be to get rid of it, using natural therapies, but no-no, it will interfere with doctors' pockets! Speaking from my 35 years' experience in this field.

Joydie · 2025-04-20T11:03:47+1000

I've had multiple BCCs removed and they were all removed in my GP's surgery at no cost. Some were on my face. I think if this woman is looking at $9,000 for such a simple procedure, it's time she found another doctor, one who isn't taking advantage of a young person's medical inexperience to line his pocket.

Look, I know I'm a tough, grumpy old woman, but the diagnosis of a BCC isn't 'life altering'. It's the smallest of bumps in the road of life. I know of those reading this article, there will be many wishing that a BCC was all they had to worry about healthwise.

DLHM · 2025-04-20T11:13:47+1000

Tata said:
So much easier would be to get rid of it, using natural therapies, but no-no, it will interfere with doctors' pockets! Speaking from my 35 years' experience in this field.

Natural therapies can work, but not always. I’m speaking from personal experience since my interest in natural therapies and seeking out natural therapists began over 40 years ago.

I’m glad I had my melanoma cut out last year instead of waiting for natural therapies to work.

After having exhausted all avenues of natural healing for my psoriatic arthritis 30 years ago, I had to go the route of a rheumatologist. Had I not, there’s no doubt I would have been crippled years ago. (That’s where I was rapidly heading.)

Allopathic medicine is generally my go-to for treatment. It’s a personal choice.

Thecla · 2025-04-20T11:14:51+1000

Joydie said:
I've had multiple BCCs removed and they were all removed in my GP's surgery at no cost. Some were on my face. I think if this woman is looking at $9,000 for such a simple procedure, it's time she found another doctor, one who isn't taking advantage of a young person's medical inexperience to line his pocket.

Look, I know I'm a tough, grumpy old woman, but the diagnosis of a BCC isn't 'life altering'. It's the smallest of bumps in the road of life. I know of those reading this article, there will be many wishing that a BCC was all they had to worry about healthwise.

Sometimes these small bumps in the road need more than a minor op at the drs surgery…. My hubby is proof of that!!

Scaveola · 2025-04-20T11:26:48+1000

Tata said:
So much easier would be to get rid of it, using natural therapies, but no-no, it will interfere with doctors' pockets! Speaking from my 35 years' experience in this field.

You can't cure a BCC or other skin cancer with natural therapy!

Scaveola · 2025-04-20T11:31:07+1000

Any skin lesions that persist should be biopsied, that's the golden rule. I'm a GP working in a skin cancer clinic and our doctors are very skilled. We can't bulk bill for this treatment as we receive less fromMedicare than the procedures cost us to do. But the expensive treatment that this lady faces would likely be extensive surgery due to the delay in diagnosis.

PattiB · 2025-04-20T12:18:52+1000

Joydie said:
I've had multiple BCCs removed and they were all removed in my GP's surgery at no cost. Some were on my face. I think if this woman is looking at $9,000 for such a simple procedure, it's time she found another doctor, one who isn't taking advantage of a young person's medical inexperience to line his pocket.

Look, I know I'm a tough, grumpy old woman, but the diagnosis of a BCC isn't 'life altering'. It's the smallest of bumps in the road of life. I know of those reading this article, there will be many wishing that a BCC was all they had to worry about healthwise.

I have to disagree with you Joydie. Most BCCs aren’t a problem but my husband has had 2 very aggressive BCCs, which had what his surgeon described as legs, which caused him a lot of grief. The second one actually cost my poor husband his right eye, which has certainly been ‘life altering’. Both aggressive BCCs resulted in multiple surgeries & skin grafts & were followed up by 6 weeks of radiation. The bills have been rather large, the last one topped $20,000, but we have private health insurance so very few out of pocket expenses. The poor guy is constantly having bits removed or burnt off, but you wouldn’t meet a more cheerful, optimistic person. Launceston does have some brilliant medical people.

Cyberchook · 2025-04-20T12:36:09+1000

Joydie said:
I've had multiple BCCs removed and they were all removed in my GP's surgery at no cost. Some were on my face. I think if this woman is looking at $9,000 for such a simple procedure, it's time she found another doctor, one who isn't taking advantage of a young person's medical inexperience to line his pocket.

Look, I know I'm a tough, grumpy old woman, but the diagnosis of a BCC isn't 'life altering'. It's the smallest of bumps in the road of life. I know of those reading this article, there will be many wishing that a BCC was all they had to worry about healthwise.

I think those are surgery costs and chemo, not just a spot removal. The carcinomas travel from the original spot. that can be vast.

Isis · 2025-04-20T12:37:33+1000

Same thing a small pimple like bump on my jaw grew quickly and was very sore. Refered to local skin clinic, they did a biopsy squarmal cell cancer . Was removed with all margins clear , paid $400 with $200 coming back.
Guess I was the lucky one.

Scaveola · 2025-04-20T13:00:57+1000

PattiB said:
I have to disagree with you Joydie. Most BCCs aren’t a problem but my husband has had 2 very aggressive BCCs, which had what his surgeon described as legs, which caused him a lot of grief. The second one actually cost my poor husband his right eye, which has certainly been ‘life altering’. Both aggressive BCCs resulted in multiple surgeries & skin grafts & were followed up by 6 weeks of radiation. The bills have been rather large, the last one topped $20,000, but we have private health insurance so very few out of pocket expenses. The poor guy is constantly having bits removed or burnt off, but you wouldn’t meet a more cheerful, optimistic person. Launceston does have some brilliant medical people.

I'm sorry your poor husband lost his eye. BCCs invade locally, and should be dealt with early. They are typically a red nodule, often with a 'pearly' edge and small red blood vessels growing over the edges. But they can present as a red scaly lesion. I go to my own GP for skin checks regularly.

Iris · 2025-04-20T13:44:37+1000

Anna's costs would have been covered if she had medical cover surely.

PattiB · 2025-04-20T15:19:47+1000

Scaveola said:
I'm sorry your poor husband lost his eye. BCCs invade locally, and should be dealt with early. They are typically a red nodule, often with a 'pearly' edge and small red blood vessels growing over the edges. But they can present as a red scaly lesion. I go to my own GP for skin checks regularly.

Ted didn’t even know it was there. The surgeon, who is a Plastic Facial Reconstruction Specialist, does his skin checks & felt a tiny, near invisible lump on the bridge of his nose, did a biopsy & then the operations began. We are both very vigilant with skin checks, especially any tiny little red patches that are constantly popping up on Ted’s poor head. He has another check scheduled for Thursday.

RealityCheck · 2025-04-20T16:18:37+1000

Can SDC kindly explain why the $9000? Is she an overseas student so not covered by Medicare? Even then it would have to be an expensive version of plastic surgery level of charge. BCCs essentially don't spread, so local excision is curative.

PattiB · 2025-04-20T16:28:55+1000

RealityCheck said:
Can SDC kindly explain why the $9000? Is she an overseas student so not covered by Medicare? Even then it would have to be an expensive version of plastic surgery level of charge. BCCs essentially don't spread, so local excision is curative.

They sometimes grow roots that spread along nerves etc and when this happens it results in surgery in a hospital. This has happened to my husband twice. Most of them are a simple extraction in the surgeons rooms, but not all. Some clinics aren’t funded by Medicare.

RealityCheck · 2025-04-20T17:45:06+1000

PattiB said:
They sometimes grow roots that spread along nerves etc and when this happens it results in surgery in a hospital. This has happened to my husband twice. Most of them are a simple extraction in the surgeons rooms, but not all. Some clinics aren’t funded by Medicare.

Actually, that is incorrect. BCCs can uncommonly grow inwards as well as outwards, but not "roots". It sounds more likely your husband had SCC. Even then it would net explain the quoted cost. No clinics are "funded by Medicare". It is Patients who are insured for a specified, limited rebate through Medicare, which can result in gap fees being charged.

PattiB · 2025-04-20T18:47:30+1000

RealityCheck said:
Actually, that is incorrect. BCCs can uncommonly grow inwards as well as outwards, but not "roots". It sounds more likely your husband had SCC. Even then it would net explain the quoted cost. No clinics are "funded by Medicare". It is Patients who are insured for a specified, limited rebate through Medicare, which can result in gap fees being charged.

No he didn’t have an SCC! His doctor described the BCC as having a root like structure that grew along nerves, muscles etc. & unfortunately it invaded the muscles around his right eye. After 5 surgeries he lost both upper & lower eyelids and with nothing to keep the eye in place, he also lost the eye. After the first invasive BCC the Oncologist said that most people regard BCCs as harmless butthey can cause a lot of damage. The one SCC that my husband had was easily removed, I think in the surgeons rooms.

Luckyus · 2025-04-20T19:45:10+1000

I know I shouldn"t but I just can't let it go.

A bloke goes to the doctors, with a toad sitting on his head.

The doctors says "what appears to be the trouble."

And the toad says " I don't know Doctor it started out as a pimple om my arse"

Chicky · 2025-04-20T20:01:02+1000

My family are mostly red heads that loved beach and fishing . We never wore hats . Didn't think the sun would do the damage to our skin that it did. My family have lost ears or parts of their ears. Had our noses cut and burnt by the Drs.
Now we slather our faces and bodies with 50+. Were hats and sunglasses always when outside.

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