Hi

I am a Newbie here and I am looking for some answers, in particular if SCC and Arthritis can be linked to each other. I am very interested to see if others have experienced the same association as I have.

A brief history first, I am 55 and about 20 years ago I was devastated when a doctor told me I had a bad SCC and it had to be surgically removed. Well, I have had time to get use to this procedure and over the years have had increasing incidence of SCC’s requiring removal. I have just come back from the doctor’s 1 hour ago after having my latest SCC cut out. I get on average 2 a year requiring removal.

I have several “Hot Spots” on my body that get increased roughing of the skin and regularly have them frozen (they always return). At the same time, the SCC’s requiring removal usually start with an identifiable and unique tingle under the skin. These tingles usually form into a red lump and progress to the stage where there is the tell-tale central dry crust that seems to be directly connected to a pain sensor under the skin (time to get it cut out). This is usually associated with Lymphatic swelling in my r/h groin, and under my r/h arm.

Sadly this is a routine I am quite use to now, and this is usually the only reason I see my GP who I have every faith in. She jokingly thanks me for allowing her to keep her surgery skills up to date.

I have regular blood pathology and x-rays and nothing unusual is evident.

What I am most perplexed about is a relationship I have noticed with my SCC flair-ups and arthritic pain. The doctor tells me it is impossible and I tell her it happens every time over the last 5 years of SCC flair-ups (about 7 removals).

These Arthritic events differ each time usually and are isolated to one location – The shoulders limiting my arm rotation field – every joint in each hand – Upper back Scolioses – every bone in my toes etc. The last event was the bony prominence on the inside of my right knee that stopped me from walking. The pain was enough to wake me at night. I usually recover completely from these Arthritic events and this corresponds with my sun cancer activity stopping and the same site problem does not present itself – it is always a different joint.

I see this relationship as either of the following:
• A general Physiological problem lowering my resistance that ends up spurring the SCC’s and Arthritis in the same sequence each time.
• The SCC problem that starts the events (I shudder to think about this one).

The Doc says the only way to tell if they are related to each other is to undergo gruelling biopsy’s and pathology tests the next time it happens. I obviously want to stay away from this unless this association between SCC’s and Arthritis has been experienced by others.

Anyone’s input will be very much appreciated.