‘Trying to pop it was the worst thing I could have done’: How a man’s tiny ‘pimple’ turned into a lump the size of a GOLF BALL – and it could have killed him
- In six weeks a Queensland man’s small zit turned into a golf ball-sized pimple
- It turned out to be a common type of cancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Surgeons performed a procedure down to his skull in order to cut out the lump
In six weeks a man’s small pimple turned into a cancerous golf ball-sized pimple that required urgent surgery to be removed.
James Murray, 52, from Marcoola on the Sunshine coast, had a benign-looking pimple on his forehead that became a raised black and purple lump.
‘Trying to pop the pimple in saltwater was one of the worst things I could have done,’ he told the Courier Mail.
After he used his hands to try and pop his growing zit, his face scarred and he sought medical help.
He went to Sunshine Coast University Hospital’s plastic and reconstructive team for surgery to remove the lump he named ‘Freddie’.
James Murray, 52, from Marcoola on the Sunshine coast, used his hands to try and pop the golf ball sized pimple, but after it scarred he sought medical help
Mr Murray was left with scars on his forehead from the operation, but he says he couldn’t be happier with the results compared to what it looked like before
Mr Murray was left with scars on his forehead from the operation, but he says he couldn’t be happier with the results compared to what it looked like before.
‘I was pretty concerned at one point considering how fast it was growing. It was getting pretty bad,’ he said.
‘They told me it had to be removed and removed quickly. I had to put my faith in their hands.’
The pimple turned out to be a Squamous Cell Carcinoma – the second most common form of skin cancer that starts from an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells from the skin’s outer layer.
Surgeons performed a two-part procedure down to his skull in order to cut out the lump.
The procedure was followed by a complicated rotation of his scalp, to make sure the area where the cancer was found was covered.
Doctors said they had to approach the cancer’s removal differently to other melanomas, as there was a chance they were dealing with a rarer form of cancer.
Melanoma is the second most common cancer on the Sunshine Coast, and doctors are using Mr Murray’s story to spread awareness to get regular skin checks.
The pimple turned out to be a Squamous Cell Carcinoma – the second most common form of skin cancer that starts from an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells from the skin’s outer layer. Pictured: before the lump grew