Skin Cancer Awareness Month: NHS Lothian patients share experiences

Two patients have spoken out on Skin Cancer Awareness Month about the difference NHS Lothian’s treatment has made to their lives. 

Alan Vannan, 62 from Peebles, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common skin cancer, and has been administered with immunotherapy for two years.

Prior to this, patients like Alan with advanced SCC who’ve exhausted other treatment, such as surgery and radiotherapy, wouldn’t have had other options.

Alan said: “It started with a lump on my neck and cheek, so I went to the GP. 

“When I saw the doctor at St John’s, he took one look and diagnosed it as skin cancer and said they’d need to operate on it quickly. A Macmillian nurse, who’s been brilliant, called me on the way home.

“Processing what people are telling you after a cancer diagnosis can be the most difficult part. 

“Next was the surgery followed by radiotherapy, which wasn’t easy. Beforehand, I always thought of skin cancer as something minor and easily treated.”

Unfortunately, after his treatment, Alan received the news that the cancer hadn’t gone away.

Alan continued: “That was a difficult time. They couldn’t operate further. It came as a bit of a shock. Mentally, it was hard to process. They told me I had months left and that’s when I went to Dr Mackenzie. 

“I was given immunotherapy and it’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I’ve gone from being told I had months to it being two years later. 

“As soon as I started taking the drug the wound healed up. For me, it’s been absolutely fantastic. Every time I’ve got a scan I expected it to get worse, but it never has.

“I can’t praise the staff highly enough. The nurses, surgeons, radiologists and oncologists at the Western General and St John’s, and the Macmillian nurses, have all been amazing.”

Dr Joanna Mackenzie, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Edinburgh Cancer Centre (above), said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve how we support our patients, and this has been a huge step forward in our management of difficult skin cancers. 

“To see it make such a difference to people like Alan who, just a few years ago, we wouldn’t have had the tools to help is really fulfilling for us as a team. 

“We’re also looking to conduct research to see if immunotherapy can be used at an earlier stage to help a wider number of patients with SCC.”

NHS Lothian last year also invested in a new superficial x-ray machine which treats basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common type of skin cancer. 

The machine is used for patients where surgery is not the preferred option, which can be due to other health conditions or the location of the cancer. 

BCC is rarely life-threatening but is typically seen on the face and attacks surrounding healthy tissue, sometimes leading to deformity. 

Lynda Gordon, 74, from Joppa, said: “About two years ago, I woke up with a hole at the end of my nose, so I contacted the GP.

“I was referred to the hospital at Lauriston and had an appointment to meet with a plastic surgeon, an oncologist and a dermatologist at the Joint Cutaneous Oncology Clinic. 

“It was diagnosed as a BCC and I chose to receive radiotherapy.

“An operation would have required taking skin from elsewhere and because I’ve had that before, with an SCC in 2017, I couldn’t go through that again.

“I went for the procedure at the cancer centre in February with this new machine. 

“I went every weekday for one week. Staff are lovely and make sure to explain everything. It only takes about two minutes each time. 

“The healing process was a bit unpleasant but three to four weeks later it settled, and my nose is looking absolutely fine. I’m really pleased with the results. 

“The care provided by staff is just brilliant.”

This Skin Cancer Awareness Month, NHS Lothian is also urging everyone to take simple precautions when enjoying the sun.

Dr Mackenzie continued: “It’s easy for us to think that, because we see many months of cold weather, the summer months can’t cause too much damage. 

“But whether at home or abroad, we all need to make the effort to protect our skin. 

“Simple ways to do so are avoiding the sun at peak times and wearing high-factor sunscreen as well as hats, sunglasses and clothing which covers sensitive areas more prone to sun damage.

“Please contact your GP if you’re concerned about any unusual changes to your skin.”