Monthly Archives: July 2015

Biopsy 2 of 4

Posted on by MaryO

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was having some biopsies done.  It had been planned for 3 of them today  2 on my right leg, 1 on my left.

Up at 6:30 to put Lidocaine/Prilocaine cream on the places, covered with waterproof bandages.

I arrived at my doctor’s at 8:30 and found that my insurance would only allow one biopsy at a time. <sigh>

 

leg1

The doctor removed most (or all?) of the largest one. There are 3 internal stitches and 7 on the outside.  When those 7 are removed in a couple weeks, the doctor will remove the second one, on the other leg.  Then, when the stitches come out for that, she’ll remove the 3rd.

My summer at the doctor’s.  LOL

Meanwhile, we were hoping the pathology report would come back today for the forehead one I did last week but it hasn’t yet.  No news is good news!

 

Patient Instructions for Biopsy Site Care from Johns Hopkins

  1. Leave your wound dressings in place for the rest of the day of the biopsy and keep them dry.
  2. Change band-aids daily starting the day after the biopsy.
  3. Showers are fine starting the day after the biopsy. Leave the band-aids in place while you shower and change them after you dry off.
  4. During the time period of daily band-aid changes, do not soak in a bath or swim.
  5. The average time for daily band-aid changes is 5 to 6 days (range is from 1 or 2 days up to 2 weeks).
  6. If you need to use anything to clean the wounds, hydrogen peroxide is recommended. If the wounds are fine (i.e., no signs of infection), all that is required is a daily band-aid change.
  7. The wounds may or may not form a scab as they heal; either way is fine.
  8. Continue to change the band-aids daily until there are no open wounds.
  9. The local anesthetic used for the biopsy will usually last for 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. After it wears off, you may have some mild, localized soreness and tenderness at the biopsy sites over the next day or two. You may find regular Tylenol is helpful for the discomfort.
  10. Refrain from doing extremely strenuous activity for the rest of the day of your biopsy (such as running or heavy lifting).
  11. Once you are without the band-aid, the biopsy sites may look slightly red or darker than the rest of your skin. This discoloration will gradually fade and blend back with your normal skin color. This fading process may take anywhere from a few months up to a year.
  12. It is very rare for people to have any problems during the healing period. It is normal for the biopsy sites to bleed a little bit or drain pink fluid for a day or two after the biopsies. They should not bleed excessively (i.e., through the band-aid) after that time. They should never drain pus. If you do experience problems with significant bleeding, redness, infection, or other problems, call your doctor’s office.

Skin Cancer

Posted on by MaryO

biopsy

 

 

We have a new melanoma in the family, so I’ll be posting a bit about that for a while.

I just had a shave biopsy above my eyebrow last Tuesday and I’ll have 3 punch biopsies on my legs next Tuesday.  Results to follow!

For the non-squeamish:

Consumer Updates > FDA Strengthens Warning of Heart Attack and Stroke Risk for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Posted on by MaryO

Next time you reach into the medicine cabinet seeking relief for a headache, backache or arthritis, be aware of important safety information for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

FDA is strengthening an existing warning in prescription drug labels and over-the-counter (OTC) Drug Facts labels to indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke, either of which can lead to death. Those serious side effects can occur as early as the first few weeks of using an NSAID, and the risk might rise the longer people take NSAIDs. (Although aspirin is also an NSAID, this revised warning doesn’t apply to aspirin.)

The OTC drugs in this group are used for the temporary relief of pain and fever. The prescription drugs in this group are used to treat several kinds of arthritis and other painful conditions. Because many prescription and OTC medicines contain NSAIDs, consumers should avoid taking multiple remedies with the same active ingredient.

via Consumer Updates > FDA Strengthens Warning of Heart Attack and Stroke Risk for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Don’t Ignore These Early Signs Of Heart Disease In Men | Michael Lazar

Posted on by MaryO

Early Signs Of Heart Disease In Men

While many men may be unaware that they suffer from heart disease until a major incident, like a heart attack, occurs, there are several red flags that you should be aware of to better detect problems with the heart during the earliest and most treatable phases, explains WebMD.

The early stages of heart disease may have come-and-go symptoms that include:

Out of breath after moderate exercise, like climbing stairs.

A feeling of achiness or squeezing in the chest that can last 30 minutes or longer.

Pain in the upper extremities that can’t be explained.

Sometimes heart disease is caused by blood vessels. Key early signs include:

Chest pain

Shortened breath

Pain or tingling in the upper extremities

These symptoms could mean that your blood vessels have narrowed and are constricted. This can sometimes be caused by the build-up of plaque, which forces the heart to work harder to pump blood.

via Don’t Ignore These Early Signs Of Heart Disease In Men | Michael Lazar.

CTCA initiates New Clinical Study of Immunotherapy Combined With Chemotherapy Colon Cancer News Today

Posted on by MaryO

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) recently announced it will begin a Phase Ib/II clinical trial using a novel immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced kidney, pancreatic, colorectal carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer.

The “NivoPlus” study combines nivolumab (an immunotherapy drug) with the FDA-approved irinotecan, temsirolimus, and a combination of capecitabine and irinotecan (all chemotherapy drugs).

The combination of chemotherapeutic agents with nivolumab intends to stimulate the patient’s immune system to improve the results that would not be achieved using chemotherapy alone. This is the first time that this combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy is being investigated and is the third combination study launched since last year by CTCA at the Western Regional Medical Center (Western) in Goodyear, Arizona

The company aims to enroll 49 patients on the multi-arm NivoPlus clinical trial, and has already announced the first patient already received treatment.

“Some of these drug combinations are not available elsewhere, giving CTCA patients additional treatment options,” said in a recent news release Dr. Glen Weiss, Director of Clinical Research and Medical Oncologist, CTCA at Western. “Our ultimate goal is to evaluate if these combinations yield improved results for our patients.”

Nivolumab inhibits the PD-1 protein, which otherwise blocks the body’s immune system from attacking tumor cells.

via CTCA initiates New Clinical Study of Immunotherapy Combined With Chemotherapy Colon Cancer News Today.