A pensioner who 'woke up with a hole at the end of her nose' has told of her shock cancer diagnosis and how she was saved from deformity.
Lynda Gordon, from Edinburgh, was stunned to discover the cavity on her face around two years ago, and promptly contacted her GP.
The 74-year-old was referred to the Lauriston Building, an outpatient centre in the city, where she met with medical experts to find out what had caused the damage.
She received the devastating news that she had basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a common type of skin cancer which is typically seen on the face and can sometimes lead to deformity.
Lynda explained: “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 I’ve had that before - I couldn’t go through that again."
To accelerate her on the road to recovery, Lynda opted to undergo a procedure with a new superficial x-ray machine funded by NHS Lothian.
The machine is used for patients who would prefer not to go through surgery.
Thanks to the life-changing treatment, Lynda's nose has now been completely transformed, although she described the healing process as 'unpleasant'.
Lynda continued: “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.”
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.
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."
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."
Lynda and Alan opened up their experience with cancer as part of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, with NHS Scotland urging everyone to take simple precautions when enjoying the sun.
This includes avoiding the sun at peak times and wearing high-factor sunscreen as well as hats, sunglasses and clothing to cover sensitive areas more prone to sun damage.
Dr Joanna Mackenzie, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Edinburgh Cancer Centre, said: “We’re always looking for ways to improve how we support our patients, and this [the machine] has been a huge step forward in our management of difficult skin cancers.
"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.
“Please contact your GP if you’re concerned about any unusual changes to your skin.”
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