Mother is diagnosed with cancer on her NECK after taking her son to the doctors over worrying spot on his head

A mother’s concern about a mark on her son’s forehead led to her being diagnosed with skin cancer.
Marie Testro, 43, took her son Billy to the family GP after she became worried about a spot on his hairline.
After Billy’s growth was found to be
benign, dermatologists inspected a mark on Mrs Testro’s neck which had been irritating her for three months.

Shock: Marie Testro initially took her son Billy to the family GP about a spot on his hairline. This was found to be harmless but she was diagnosed with skin cancer at the same time

Tests confirmed she was suffering from a rodent ulcer, otherwise known as basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
Mrs Testro, who works in accounting, said: 'The dermatologist had finished explaining that Billy’s spot was harmless and then asked whether there was any history of skin cancer in my family.
'I said, "no, but there is this strange mark on my neck".

 

'The lump had been on my neck for six months and had been itching and bleeding for about three months. But it wasn’t incredibly painful and I hadn’t thought a great deal about it.

'The dermatologist took one look at it and asked me to go back and see my GP urgently. The GP took a sample of the tissue and discovered it was cancer.
'Billy was with me in the examination room when he told me what he’d found, and my first thought was how he would react to the news.

Chance: After Billy's growth was found to be benign, dermatologists inspected a mark on Mrs Testro's neck which had been irritating her for three months

WHAT IS BASAL CELL CARCINOMA?

More than with 200,000 cases of basal cell carcinomas are diagnosed each year.
Cases of this form of cancer, which is treatable by surgery, have risen by 80 per cent in  a decade.
It is the most common form of skin cancer but the least dangerous - but must still be taken seriously.
Basal cell carcinoma rarely spreads and can easily be treated and cured when discovered early.
But the surgery can be potentially disfiguring, especially the cancer has grown for a while.

'He was just 13 at the time and cancer is such a strong word. I was shocked. It was almost as if my life was flashing before my eyes.'
The cancerous lump was removed a week after it was discovered.
Mrs Testro, of Derby, said: 'Taking Billy to the doctor’s surgery turned out to be a very good idea. If it had been left for any longer, it could have spread.
'Cancer’s not something you want to leave to get any worse, and if it had gone unexamined for very much longer, my health could have been at serious risk.'
She believes the cancer could have been caused by a heat-conducting silver chain which she wore around her neck.
She said: 'I had used sunbed in the past but never excessively - perhaps on the odd occasion for a couple of weeks before heading out to a holiday in the sun. On holiday I always tried to be careful using sunscreen because I hated to burn. 
'I used to wear a thick silver chain which heated up quite considerably when I was using a hair-drier, or even when I was over the oven cooking.
'I suspect the heat damaged my skin cells on that part of my neck over time, leading to the development of cancer.'

Tests confirmed she was suffering from basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Image on the left shows the scar left on Marie's neck after the skin cancer was removed

Since discovering the skin cancer in the summer of 2007, Mrs Testro has battled breast cancer which required a full mastectomy on her left side in the spring of 2011, and bouts of chemotherapy and radiotherapy between 2012 and 2013.
She is currently in remission and is being supported in her recovery by her partner Jason, 43, and Billy.
The skin cancer, which doctors have told her was unrelated to the development of breast cancer, has not reoccured.
She said the skin cancer shock, and her following struggle with breast cancer, has prompted a change of habits and a refreshed outlook on life. 
She said: 'I don’t tend to go on holiday to places where it’s hot and, if I do, I don’t go on the sunbed beforehand and make sure I don’t go in the sun to the degree I did. I’m a lot more cautious than I ever was before.

Marie with her partner Jason. She believes the cancer could have been caused by a heat-conducting silver chain which she wore around her neck

'I got rid of the chain that became hot - it’s in the jewellery box now, never to be worn again, and when I do wear a lighter gold chain now, I keep it tucked in to my shirt.
'I’ve spoken about my experiences with cancer, and how I’ve handled them, with other people. A friend of mine has the BRCA gene and she is soon going for a double mastectomy - it’s a relief for her to be able to talk to me, because I’ve been through it.
“The most frequent questions are - ‘what happens next? If I need a breast reconstruction, what will I look like after the surgery?’ I’m happy to show people my reconstruction, which is encouraging for them.
“People ask me how I’ve managed to stay so strong. Experiencing cancer puts things in perspective - if you’re diagnosed you can’t get worked up about little things, like breaking a nail.
'It feels nice to be able to share that perspective with people.'