Simon’s story

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with skin cancer on the left side of my nose. It started a few years ago when I got a cut on the side of my nose. The wound healed, and when a wound reappeared later, I didn’t miss it. It looked very common and similar to eczema, and no one commented on it. After a few years, I got some bumps that I could feel but not see, and that made me react. I was referred to a dermatologist who initially thought it was completely harmless, that it might be rosacea. A biopsy was taken from the area on my nose and a week later, I got a call from the dermatologist who told me it wasn’t rosacea, but skin cancer. I was shocked to be told it was skin cancer, as I was completely unprepared for the possibility that it could be something serious. A couple of weeks after the news, I still hadn’t received an appointment to have the cancer removed through the hospital, so I started to explore my options on my own. It was quite by chance that I found the Skin Cancer Clinic that I approached, and I would say it was my luck.

After my initial inquiry, I went for a preliminary examination at the Skin Cancer Clinic and after a short wait, I was operated on. It turned out to be an extensive procedure where, in the loving manner of the staff, I was scolded for carrying it for so long. At the Skin Cancer Clinic, Mohs surgery is offered. In my case, they reached five surgeries on the first day. The surgery lasted a total of 7.5 hours on the first day, during which I had more and more tissue removed from my nose, because with Mohs surgery you could immediately see if there was more cancerous tissue left and where it was located in the skin. It was nearing midnight, and when the doctor at the Skin Cancer Clinic found that some of the cancer was still there, the open surgical wound was exceptionally wrapped in bandages and I was sent home with the message to return the next morning. During surgery the following day, a second operation was performed and it was confirmed that all the cancer had been removed. Then the nose reconstruction began with plastic surgery. If it hadn’t been for the Skin Cancer Clinic, I would have risked having a second surgery to remove all the cancerous tissue. The reconstruction involved taking skin from my cheek, turning it 180 degrees and then stitching it to my nose. It worked, and since then I have had several cosmetic surgeries at the Skin Cancer Clinic.

The same night I came home after the first surgery, I happened to watch a TV show about a patient who had the same type of cancer on his nose as I did. The patient underwent an operation at Rigshospitalet, which does not use a Mohs surgeon and therefore had to take a large flap of skin from the forehead and swing it down onto the nose. The patient had to wear the skin flap under a large bandage for a month before it could be removed and integrated into the nose. At Rigshospitalet they had cut off a lot of the nose, and I thought: “Wow, if this had happened to me, they would probably have to operate on me again after a month because they wouldn’t have gotten all of it”. In my case, the procedure was as minimally invasive as possible because the Skin Cancer Clinic uses Mohs surgery.

Another thing I also think about is sick leave. I would have had at least a month’s absence from work if I had had the traditional surgery. In my case, I could be back at work within a week. The other thing is that in my case, we’re talking about my face. If it had been anywhere else on my body, I wouldn’t have given it much thought, but because it’s my face, I’m happy that it was the least invasive surgery I had.

From the first time I spoke to the Skin Cancer Clinic, I have felt in safe hands, and throughout this difficult process I have been met and treated by a highly professional staff, both professionally and on a human level.

I can only recommend the Skin Cancer Clinic to others who find themselves in a similar situation as I have been in.