Unexpectedly discovered cancer from a black mole on the foot

The case is that of Ms. KTP (54 years old, Hanoi ). Accordingly, the initial lesion was just a small, painless, non-itchy spot that could easily be mistaken for a benign mole. The patient monitored herself at home, then went to the clinic and was treated as a benign tumor: injection and suture without biopsy. However, the surgical wound did not heal, and two new black spots appeared. The patient continued treatment at another facility, but the lesion continued to spread, even growing more at the old sutures.

Seeing no improvement, the patient stopped medical treatment and turned to self-treatment by electrocautery and using drugs of unknown origin for more than a month. As a result, the wound spread, ulcerated deeply, became swollen and painful, making it difficult to walk. Only when the sole of the foot was almost completely damaged did the patient go to a dermatology clinic for examination and a biopsy confirmed that he had melanoma. The patient was then transferred to a specialized hospital for treatment and plastic surgery, but his condition did not improve, so he was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

According to doctors, when admitted to the hospital, the patient had an 8x8 cm wide injury on the sole of the foot – the main weight-bearing area of ​​the body. This is an area that is very difficult to surgically intervene in because if handled incorrectly, the risk of losing motor function or having to amputate is very high.

The team of doctors used a skin flap at the arch of the foot – an area that bears less pressure – and nourished the flap with an upstream artery. After three days, the skin flap recovered well, the surgical wound was dry and stable, helping the patient recover quickly.

MSc. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Linh shared: “If the patient comes later or is treated incorrectly from the beginning, the risk of amputation is very high. Thanks to timely intervention and application of appropriate techniques, we have almost completely preserved motor function.”

Image of patient's foot after surgery. Photo: Thanh Thanh

Dr. Duong Manh Chien - a plastic surgery specialist at the hospital - said: "This is a typical case showing that melanoma can start silently like a mole, but progress very quickly and dangerously. Because it is painless and does not itch, many people are subjective. If not completely removed from the beginning, cancer cells can spread to the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, and even the brain."

Dr. Chien emphasized that melanoma is a cancer originating from pigment cells, often found in areas of skin exposed to a lot of light. However, the soles of the feet - an area that few people pay attention to - are very easy to miss. Strange spots here can be mistaken for calluses, corns, or rice grains. In particular, melanoma does not respond to chemotherapy or radiation therapy like many other types of cancer. Therefore, radical surgical removal from the beginning is a vital factor. The safe resection area needs to be 10 times larger than the thickness of the tumor. Burning, puncturing, or cutting without biopsy, or delaying treatment can cause cancer cells to spread and metastasize rapidly.

For early detection, people need to pay attention to pigmented lesions such as unusual moles, immediately think of melanoma and see a specialist. Absolutely do not touch, poke, biopsy or remove part of the tumor without eliminating melanoma, because these actions can stimulate cancer cells to spread throughout the body (metastasis). Once identified as melanoma, it needs to be surgically removed widely and reconstructed.

Dr. Chien recommends: “People need to be highly vigilant for any unusual pigmented lesions on the skin, no matter how small. Dangerous signs to watch out for include uneven color, asymmetrical shape, blurred edges, rapid increase in size, or the appearance of additional small spots around. Locations such as the soles of the feet, between the toes, and private areas – even if they are less exposed to light – if there are unusual spots, they need to be examined and biopsied at specialized facilities.”

Ngoc Nga

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/bat-ngo-phat-hien-benh-ung-thu-tu-not-den-o-ban-chan-post544706.html