Black spots spread on the soles of the feet, the patient was shocked to learn that he had skin cancer

Just over three months after discovering a small black spot on the sole of her foot, Ms. KTP (54 years old, Hanoi) saw the black spot ulcerate widely and spread quickly. At the hospital, she was surprised to be diagnosed with melanoma - a form of skin cancer that progresses quickly, metastasizes easily and is very dangerous.

Surgeons

Previously, the initial lesion was just a small, painless, non-itchy spot that could easily be mistaken for a benign mole. The patient monitored it at home, then came to the clinic and was treated as a benign tumor, with only needles and stitches, no biopsy.

However, the surgical wound did not heal, and two new black spots appeared. The patient continued treatment at another facility, but the lesions continued to spread, even growing more at the old stitches.

Seeing no improvement, the patient stopped medical treatment and turned to self-treatment by electrocautery and using unknown drugs for more than a month. As a result, the wound spread, became deeply ulcerated, 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 and have a biopsy to confirm that he had melanoma. After that, the patient was transferred to a specialized hospital for treatment and plastic surgery, but the condition did not improve, so the patient was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Upon admission, the patient had an 8x8 cm lesion 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 loss of motor function or amputation is very high.

At the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, plastic surgeons promptly intervened using the technique of creating a retrograde plantar flap.

The team of doctors used a skin flap at the arch of the foot (where less pressure is applied) and nourished the skin 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.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Linh shared that if the patient had come later or had been treated incorrectly from the beginning, the risk of amputation would have been very high. Thanks to timely intervention and application of appropriate techniques, doctors were able to preserve almost complete motor function.

Dr. Duong Manh Chien, a plastic surgeon 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: Melanoma is a cancer originating from pigment cells, often found in areas of skin exposed to light. However, the sole of the foot is an area that few people pay attention to and is very easy to miss. Strange spots here can be mistaken for calluses, corns, or rice grains.

Melanoma is not as responsive to chemotherapy or radiation as many other cancers. Therefore, radical early surgical excision is vital. The safe surgical margin must be 10 times larger than the tumor thickness. Burning, puncturing, cutting without biopsy, or delaying treatment can cause cancer cells to spread and metastasize rapidly.

For early detection, people need to note: if there is a pigmented lesion such as an unusual mole, 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 movements can stimulate cancer cells to spread throughout the body (metastasis). Once melanoma is determined, extensive surgery and reconstruction are required. Depending on the stage, inguinal lymph node dissection may or may not be indicated to reduce the recurrence rate.

Dr. Chien recommends that 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, if there are unusual spots, should be examined and biopsied at specialized facilities.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/not-den-lan-rong-o-ban-chan-benh-nhan-soc-khi-biet-mac-ung-thu-da-209761.html