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Rachel Olivia, a 32-year-old Australian woman, initially dismissed a small red breakout on her forehead as a pimple.
Rachel has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. (Representative Image)
Pimples, though typically harmless and often caused by hormonal changes, usually heal with time. However, this wasn’t the case for an Australian woman. A seemingly harmless pimple turned into a life-changing discovery for her. What appeared to be a common skin issue on her forehead was later diagnosed as skin cancer.
According to the New York Post, Rachel Olivia, a 32-year-old woman, initially dismissed a small red breakout on her forehead as a pimple. However, when the place continued to flake and did not heal, Rachel sought professional aid. A biopsy revealed that she had skin cancer. Rachel told news.com.au, “I left it for a year, but when it never healed, I pushed to get it reassessed by specialists. They did a biopsy and confirmed it was cancer.”
Rachel, who prided herself on being “sun-smart” among friends and family, shared that despite avoiding tanning, she experienced a few severe sunburns as a teenager. She told the publication, “I’ve never been someone to tan or sit in the sun. But I did have a few bad burns when I was younger, and that’s all it takes.” Unfortunately, this was all that was required to develop basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the form of skin cancer she was diagnosed with. This type of cancer is caused by damage to the DNA of basal cells in the skin’s epidermis which is the top layer.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) typically presents as a white, waxy lump or a brown, scaly patch and is considered particularly dangerous when it appears on the face. Fortunately, Rachel’s diagnosis was not melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. The patient said, “I was relieved it was not a melanoma, but also shocked to still have cancer. He told me I was young to get something like this. He also explained that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer.”
As Rachel undergoes treatment for basal cell carcinoma, she faces significant challenges in managing her health while caring for her child. She shared that having an infant at home makes it particularly difficult to take care of herself.
