In 2012, Maria Sylvia, who lives in the USA, noticed a line on her nail that looked pale and had soft edges. This mark turned into a strong, brown streak in about a year. However, Maria, who did not experience any pain in her nail, thought this line was unimportant. “I was constantly going in and out of doctors. I was an athlete, so I was going for a physical every year. No one noticed the line on my nail until a doctor noticed it. This was probably circa 2014 and it was like ‘oh, that’s weird’. They told me to go see a doctor if the line gets bigger.”
FORCED FRIEND TO MAKE A BIOPSY
Maria said she didn’t have any pain in her nail and said, “I thought it was me because they told me so. My friend told me [biyopsi yaptırmak] really pushed for it. I did too. It was late January that I learned this was a case of subungual melanoma. So that means cancer under the nails.”
Subungual cancer is skin cancer under the nails, both on the toes and fingers. Early diagnosis and treatment are difficult. Patients may mistakenly believe that they only have bruising on their nails or may not even notice a change. Maria’s cancer has been on her fingernail “with all her being” since 2014.
THEY SAID THEY CUT THE NAIL AND SOME OF THE BONE
But he said: “Melanoma can be seen at a stage that’s kind of like stage zero for up to 13 years. So it’s very likely that it’s been sitting for 10 years and it’s been cancerous for the last three years, it’s kind of hard to say.” Maria was offered surgery in which doctors “scooped out” her nail and part of the bone. She woke up with a cast covering her entire hand and wrist, preventing her thumb from moving as she healed.
Fortunately, in an update, Maria said the new test results revealed that her nail was no longer cancerous. Maria reassured anyone who feared that the line on the nail might be cancer, but still urged people to see their doctor. Maria said, “I want to clarify that most of you who say you have this, it’s probably just a mole and it’s probably just a melanin deposit on your nail.
A RARE CANCER
“I recommend going to your doctor, but you’re probably fine. This is a very rare cancer.” “It’s actually quite common in people with darker skin,” said Dr. Raj Karan, who has become a TikTok phenomenon.
ATTENTION TO NAIL CHANGES
Other signs of cancer under the nail include separating from the nail bed, bleeding, thinning or cracking, or a persistent bruise. The skin around the nail may also darken. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and is usually the result of exposure to UV rays (sunlight or tanning beds).