Skin Cancer

[norm]

I suppose they might have meant 'pre cancerous' cells. A diagnosis which in itself would normally involve regular follow ups and monitoring.
Have to say though the thought of putting hydrogen peroxide on any skin which might already be raw, broken or inflamed doesn't really sound right. When people have 'burning away' treatment done medically, isn't it actually cauterisation - often using extremely cold temperatures - or more probably laser these days?

They froze off several of mine. It didn't do a great job though. The surgical removal did the best job.

[MrPlum]

I suppose they might have meant 'pre cancerous' cells. A diagnosis which in itself would normally involve regular follow ups and monitoring.
Have to say though the thought of putting hydrogen peroxide on any skin which might already be raw, broken or inflamed doesn't really sound right. When people have 'burning away' treatment done medically, isn't it actually cauterisation - often using extremely cold temperatures - or more probably laser these days?

We'll know soon enough, margaret, if and when the OP reports back.

I use HP a lot. For teeth cleaning, for resolving earaches and dissolving earwax, for spraying sweaty sandals, for cold and virus prevention, for removing pesticide residues from my fruit and veg, for whitening my smalls. I have also soaked my joints in it to resolve arthritic pain and clear leg cramps. It also improved some varicose veins that had started to appear. I agree HP does smart when you put it on an open wound and I wouldn't do it anyway since it is said to delay healing. But if you are actually trying to burn something away, then pain doesn't matter. Pain isn't always a bad thing. It can be a sign of healing taking place.

There is some debate as to whether taking HP internally is harmful. As is usually found, there are those who are absolute converts who spray it daily into their lungs or drink it diluted in water and claim it cures everything; and those who see it as reckless, dangerous quackery. Apparently 4 people have died using Hydrogen Peroxide but I don't have the details so don't know if it's industry-scaremongering, whether they would have died anyway or they were just stupid. These things need to be kept in balance. Thousands have died just from taking aspirin. If only the industry applied the same standard to themselves as they expect of natural methods.

I should stress that I don't advocate any particular method. Just raise awareness. And no, it's not based on one or two links after a quick google but multiple confirmations from a variety of sources over many years. Take garlic. Most herbalists know that garlic is a potent blood and lymph cleanser. It has anti-cancer and anti-tumour properties and I come across it often in my research. What stuck in my mind though was a brief encounter with a girlfriend I had in the U.S. many years ago, whose mother said she removed a tumour on her breast using a garlic poultice. She refused to believe her only option was have the breast mutilated with surgery. I don't blame her. She's atypical which is why it stuck in my mind.

What tends to drive people's opinions is a genuine concern. We have been persuaded to think that if you are diagnosed with cancer, you'd better get it sorted quickly (i.e within days) otherwise you're definitely a goner. You then don't have the luxury of time to try anything else. I'm not convinced of this but that's just my opinion.

Anyone trying unorthodox methods does so at their own risk and should absolutely try these things only after thorough research and in consultation with their own doctor. The problem as you know is that doctors are not trained in this stuff, so how can they advise?

Where I think people fall over with alternative methods is a lack of education as to how to use them properly and what other health strategies need to be adopted alongside them. You can't take a few herbs to fix a problem if you are still puffing 40 fags a day.

Most people think of hydrogen peroxide as the stuff that's used to bleach hair. They don't know that the body produces it naturally. White blood cells use it to zap invaders. There are many practitioners in Germany using autohemotherapy (IV injection) who claim great success. Since there isn't a practitioner I'm aware of in Thailand, another approach to getting it into the body is needed.

I've tried spraying it while inhaling and found it made my throat 'scratchy'. I diluted it some more and it was fine. Some people think more is better, when it is not and get themselves into trouble. I've snorted it into my nostrils to clear mucus and it worked a treat. I found foot soaks help things like varicose veins, fungal infections (my corns disappeared) and as I've said, joint pain. I've removed a mole with it using 35% food grade at full strength. It burns the outer skin so you have to be precise. HP can also be drying so I use fresh Aloe Vera to restore the skin tone.

I've got no knowledge of Iodine being used medicinally so can't comment.

Please don't go rushing off to try any of this without carrying out your own research or consulting your doctor. I mention this purely for education purposes and it's not possible to convey every nuance of a method just in one or two posts.

[Khundon1975]

I suppose they might have meant 'pre cancerous' cells. A diagnosis which in itself would normally involve regular follow ups and monitoring.
Have to say though the thought of putting hydrogen peroxide on any skin which might already be raw, broken or inflamed doesn't really sound right. When people have 'burning away' treatment done medically, isn't it actually cauterisation - often using extremely cold temperatures - or more probably laser these days?

Margaret

Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers, can take a long time to develop, but mine was Melanoma in a mole I had on my right arm.

Started in Australia on a visit there and when I got back to UK it itched and I ignored it for a couple of weeks.
Then went to my GP and he took one look at it and phoned a dermatologist friend, who asked me to go straight to his clinic.
He diagnosed melanoma and I was operated on the next day.

The surgeon had to cut away a lot of tissue and because it had gone deep he also cut away some muscle.

I now have a large 1 inch dip across my arm (plastic surgery later this year will improve this) and some loss of movement/strength due to the amount of meat and muscle they cut out.

Because it was near a major lymph node group (under my arm) they also did a biopsy on the first node in the chain, luckily it had not spread there but I was told if I had left it another week it almost certainly would have spread to the lymph nodes and that would have proved fatal.

From first having symptoms (itching and flaking edges to the mole) to being operated on, was just over 3 weeks.

That's how quickly this disease can get you.

Most cancers develop inside the body and can't be seen, however skin cancer can be seen and this gives you the chance of saving your life, something other types of cancer don't give you.

My advice to anyone with skin problems, is to get it checked by a specialist and ask to see any biopsy reports as well as a definitive diagnosis and prognosis, before slapping on garlic and hydrogen peroxide, in the hope of a cure.

[norm]

excellent advice Khundon......... How fast it spreads cannot be stressed to much. Not that big an expense to have it checked out, compared to the problems of ignoring it.

[Khundon1975]

excellent advice Khundon......... How fast it spreads cannot be stressed to much. Not that big an expense to have it checked out, compared to the problems of ignoring it.

norm

Yes that is very true, fast is the word.

The original mole that had caused the problem was tiny, about 7mm and up to then had not bothered me.

Maybe it was the very strong sunlight in Australia, together with the fact I had used no sunblock that started it off, or maybe it was laying dormant in the mole for years, I'm just not sure.

Some people may be predisposed to this disease and it just takes something to trigger it off.

I had a mole removed from my chin in my late 30's, as I was always cutting it whilst shaving, that was checked and contained no cancer.

Melanoma like testicular and breast cancer are detectable by simple self checks and can be done at home by ourselves.

Two minutes of our time has to be worth the trouble, rather than ignore these problems and suffer the consequences.

[hhfarang]

Melanoma like testicular and breast cancer are detectable by simple self checks and can be done at home by ourselves.

I think that is wrong (especially about melanoma) in a lot of cases here as a lot of us are large enough and inflexible enough to be able to only see about 20% of our bodies!

Better get this inspection done by a professional!

[PeteC]

Melanoma like testicular and breast cancer are detectable by simple self checks and can be done at home by ourselves.

I think that is wrong (especially about melanoma) in a lot of cases here as a lot of us are large enough and inflexible enough to be able to only see about 20% of our bodies!

Better get this inspection done by a professional!

A good addition to any massage parlor menu! Pete

[malcolminthemiddle]

Melanoma like testicular and breast cancer are detectable by simple self checks and can be done at home by ourselves.

Absolutely wrong, whether a skin cancer is melanoma or carcinoma can be accurately determined only by biopsy.

[MrPlum]

Melanoma like testicular and breast cancer are detectable by simple self checks and can be done at home by ourselves.

Two minutes of our time has to be worth the trouble, rather than ignore these problems and suffer the consequences.

Couldn't agree more about checking. If I was female I would consider thermography to check for breast cancer rather than risk a mammogram. A naturopathic friend of mine uses it and rates it highly. Mentioned here... http://www.naturalnews.com/010886.html

Lots of pictures of these things online if you look. Skin cancers, I mean. Not breasts.

[Khundon1975]

Melanoma like testicular and breast cancer are detectable by simple self checks and can be done at home by ourselves.

I think that is wrong (especially about melanoma) in a lot of cases here as a lot of us are large enough and inflexible enough to be able to only see about 20% of our bodies!

Better get this inspection done by a professional!

hhfarang
I have that size problem when being measured for suits. One Tailor hold one end of the tape while another runs around me holding the other end.


So you propose going to a doctor once a month for a testicular check, or to get all your moles checked out, or in the case of a female to get her breast palpated (I think that is the right word) by a specialist.

malcolminthemiddle

Absolutely wrong, whether a skin cancer is melanoma or carcinoma can be accurately determined only by biopsy.

Come on guys!

I think or at least hope that you both know I am talking about self checks that are advocated by most health professionals.

These are simple checks that everyone can do and could detect early changes to the body.

Lumps (sometimes painless) in testicles, changes to the skin (wrinkled skin) or changes around the nipples and small but visible changes to a mole, such as change in size, shape, colour or texture.

All of these checks are not meant to diagnose cancer but they do detect changes early, that can then be checked by a specialist.

How many men are dead now, because they did not check themselves or ignored a lump in the testes. Thousands.

I knew two guys who developed lumps in their testicles and did not go for a check up. Please note, I said "knew".

Early detection is the key, it's your body but if you wait for that yearly insurance medical to detect these changes, then it may be too late.

The survival rates for many cancers detected early are much higher, than those that are detected late. I speak from personal experience of two types of cancer in my case.

My surgeon did not do a biopsy before he operated, he just looked at the mole and knew straight away it was Melanoma.

Biopsies were done during the op on the mole and also on surrounding tissue, so that he could decide how much surrounding tissue had to be removed.

There are other diagnostic methods that can be used to detect cancers, such as special types of light detectors etc. These are being used to detect cancers by using non surgical techniques, rather than biopsies.

A non surgical, light probe, is being trialed for the early detection of cervical cancer at the moment.
This is going to give immediate results, so the ladies do not have to go through a cone biopsy and wait weeks for the biopsy result.

Also special camera and computer software is developing that will look at a Mole or skin lesion and check against a library of skin diseases and give a instant, accurate and non invasive diagnosis.

[hhfarang]

khundon1975 wrote:

So you propose going to a doctor once a month

I have a lot of moles (about 15 of which have been removed over the last ten years and tested as pre-canerous) and my dermatologist suggested that I get checked by a professional twice a year. These moles showed no obvious signs of cancer to my untrained eye.

For those with no pre-disposition, once a year should be sufficient. Self check is wonderful but many people, being untrained, would miss the signs of cancer so I wouldn't advise it in lieu of a professional check unless you have a death wish...

[Khundon1975]

khundon1975 wrote:

So you propose going to a doctor once a month

I have a lot of moles (about 15 of which have been removed over the last ten years and tested as pre-canerous) and my dermatologist suggested that I get checked by a professional twice a year. These moles showed no obvious signs of cancer to my untrained eye.

For those with no pre-disposition, once a year should be sufficient. Self check is wonderful but many people, being untrained, would miss the signs of cancer so I wouldn't advise it in lieu of a professional check unless you have a death wish...

hhfarang

Jeeze HH that's a lot of minor ops. Glad to hear they were caught in time.

I'm sure that you would have picked up any changes in the moles (if you could see them) as suggested in my last post.

Pre cancerious moles vary rarely show any significant changes but when cancer does develope in them, the changes, though subtle, can be seen by the untrained eye.
Then it's off to the specialist for a check up.

When I went back for a check up 6 weeks after the op, I met a guy who had a huge 10 inch wound across his chest, where they had to remove infected tissue from around a Melanoma.
He was a surfer dude and had noticed that his mole had bled occasionally and had gone crusty (two of the signs of a melanoma) for almost 3 months before he went to see his doc. He was very lucky to survive.

If he had gone to see his doc when the first signs appeared, his op would have been relatively minor like mine.

He had over 7 ops, using plastic surgery to close the wound over the previous 2 years and was still suffering from the effects of the operation but he was alive, which was the important thing.

My problem seems to be, that if there is a disease or ailment going free, then I get it and I get to keep it.

[jayhawk874]

I am not sure my thanks to all and my results got through or not. A quick synopsis and answer to some of the questions of prior condition...I had a small ulcer removed surgically about 6 months ago and a biopsy performed at Sao Paulo. They informed me that it was a form of cancer but not to worry. As I informed everyone, last week my ear swelled like a wrestler and an open ulcer formed on the inner area of the ear. All the advice was sound and helpful and I appreciate the many responses. I did use tincture of iodine and also hydrogen peroxide and they did help relieve the itching and pain and helped reduce the scap formation. I made a trip to Bumrungrad for their opinion in seeing both an ear specialist and skin specialist. I wanted to make sure no inner ear infection was present along with the outward infection. The result, was that it was a fungus, formed by the possible contact with my dog. Seemingly, to my relief, this is not uncommon. Now with cortisone ointment and anti-biotics, all seems to be going well. I truly want to thank all that responded and made me feel as though there are true friends out there, even though I haven' met any of you. I can only hope that I may have an expertise down the road in which I can be of assistance. Thanks again

[Khundon1975]

The result, was that it was a fungus, formed by the possible contact with my dog.

jayhawk874

Good to hear that all is OK.

A bit of advice, stop kissing the dog.

[Takiap]

A lot of good advice on here and yes I do think self examination is a good thing.

Just as a matter of interest.................

A few years ago, just after arriving in Thailand for good, a mole started to develop on one of my arms. Within a month or so it became incredibly itchy and of course I used scratch it. Then one day, for no reason at all, I applied some Lamisil ointment. The next day the itchiness was gone so I applied some more twice a day. Within about four or five days the mole had gone and has never returned. In fact, I can't even see a mark where it once was. This worked again when one appeared on one of my fingers. Call me crazy but I've applied to all sorts of little sores and it works a treat


One other interesting story.......................While still working in the UK a pain developed in my back. It got just got worse and worse until it reach the point where I could no longer lay down and sleep but instead, I had to sleep sitting up. I received loads of physio but the pain just got worse. Eventually I was sent for a scan and was told that surgery was needed to repair a problem with my spine, two vertebrae from the top. Of course I was also told that should something go wrong, there was a chance I would not be able to walk again. With a ton of powerful pain killers I boarded the flight to Thailand instead...........lol. Anyway, a few weeks later I was taking a leak in a toilet in Bangkok when I was of course pounced on by one of those chaps who insist in massaging your neck while you're busy. Once I was done, and before I could stop him, he grabbed me, twisted this way and that way which resulted in whole string of cracking noises. I gave him the ten or twenty baht as is expected and went back to my table. Then it dawned on me..............the pain was gone. I went straight back into that toilet and gave that chap 500 baht which of course came as a surprise to him but if only he knew what I had been through for the past six months. I don't mean the pain was not as bad, I mean it was gone, as if it had simply been switched off. It's now been over five years and I have never had a single bit of pain there again.


A close friend of mine has the same problem only his is further down his spine (apparently) and after three operations, he's still in pain and on medication. The last time he was over, I suggested he gets his backed snapped and cracked in the same way but unfortunately for him, he's already been brainwashed into believing that only surgery can help.

Another case was when a doctor in Bangkok cut a chunk out from the underneath of my foot. I won't bother going into all the details again but when I had the same problem a year later, a doctor at the polyclinic said it was nothing more than an allergy. Some cream was prescribed, wound healed up in no time at all and has never come back.

My aurgument is, with hospitals all being commercial businesses nowadays, profits are high on the agenda so when surgery is advised, it may not always be in ones best interest.

I must say, I agree with Mr Plum to a great extent..............we don't always have to run off to doctors at the drop of a hat. Of course, if the OP believes he may have cancer, then sure, go and have it checked out and as far as I know, the poly clinic can take a sample and get it tested for you.

The San Paulo hospital?.........................you must surely be kidding.