Botox, Biopsy, Or Both?

By Dima Ali, MD

WellMedica Aesthetic & Anti-Aging Medicine

. http://wellmedica.com/

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Botox, Biopsy, Or Both?

It is not uncommon to find an abnormal skin lesion on a patient during the course of an aesthetic consultation or treatment. Patients come in for Botox, a facial filler, or a laser treatment, but I often notice irregular or dark moles or lesions on their face or body.

As an example, a 52 year-old lady came in for Botox, but she had a red, scaly bump on her nose. I asked about her personal and family history, and, indeed, she had “some kind of cancer” removed from her back 7 years ago. She grew up on the beach in Florida. She goes to a tanning booth several times a year. I inquired about the bump on her nose, and the patient stated the following it “popped up about a year agogets irritated sometimesit's like the pimple that just won't go awayI put some Neosporin on it occasionally and sometimes it falls off but then it comes back.” This is a fairly classic history for skin cancer, so my suspicion was high. After her Botox treatment, I encouraged her to have the lesion on her face biopsied to rule out skin cancer.

Upon further inquiry, I found out that she moved to this area a couple of years ago to accept a position as a trial lawyer and was lost to follow up by the doctor who removed the cancer from her back. She is admittedly a “type A” person with a very demanding job, and the likelihood that she will be lost to follow up again is very high. In instances like this, I usually insist on doing a biopsy in the same visit to rule out skin cancer. The few minutes it takes to do a biopsy can guarantee quite a bit of peace of mind.

Indeed, the biopsy came back positive for squamous cell carcinoma. This is the type of skin cancer that can be locally invasive as well as metastasize (spread). It required an excision to make sure it was completely removed, and she had no residual scarring. When she comes in for her aesthetic treatments about every 4-6 months, I check her skin for unusual or new lesions.

So, the bottom line is if you come in for an aesthetic procedure, and I see a suspicious mole on your face or body, depending on the individual circumstances, expect to get a biopsy as well as Botox. Healthy skin should always be the priority. Early detection and treatment of potentially abnormal lesions saves lives and should not be underestimated as a very effective, non-invasive, and painless form of preventive medicine.

Contact your aesthetic surgeon for a cancer screening today.