Marcia Sorrill will be glowing as she watches her daughter get married in December. Not the manufactured glow of a tanning bed, but the radiance that results from a mother’s love for and pride in her daughter, and from the skill of two Blessing doctors.
“This is the first time I have been cancer-free in a year,” Marcia said.
A sun-lover and tanning bed enthusiast during her youth, Marcia has experienced a dozen incidents of skin cancer over the past 15 years – five of those occurring during 2021.
“I’m paying the price now,” she said.
“That is a very common story, especially in Marcia’s age group,” said Elise Scoggin, DO, Blessing Health board certified dermatologist and Marcia’s doctor. “Sunscreen existed but few people took advantage of it. They had zero protection from the sun and were outside baking all the time because it was the popular thing to do. There were no bans or restrictions on tanning beds at that time either.”
Dr. Elise Scoggin
“Now we know a lot more,” she added
Even so, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and worldwide. One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70 and more than two people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour of every day.
Marcia “faces” a tough situation
Marcia’s latest bout with skin cancer was more complex than the others she experienced. This cancer was located between the top of her nose and her right eye.
“I was terrified,” Marcia admitted.
Dr. Scoggin said the area of the cancer was unique, close to the eyelid and glands and ducts of the eye.
“Both functionally and cosmetically, it was a very challenging location,” she said.
The size of a dime, the cancerous area on Marcia’s face would require Mohs microscopic surgery. During this office-based procedure, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are removed progressively and examined immediately until only cancer-free tissue remains. Mohs delivers real-time verification that all cancer cells have been removed before the patient leaves the office, increasing the chance of a cure and reducing the need for additional treatments.
Dr. Scoggin – certified by the American Board of Dermatology in dermatology and micrographic dermatologic (Mohs) surgery – was ready to provide the level of care Marcia needed, but there was a problem. Marcia would need plastic surgery to close the surgical wound. At the time, Blessing’s plastic surgeon had retired and the recruitment process for the new surgeon was not yet complete. Dr. Scoggin referred Marcia to a St. Louis dermatologist and plastic surgeon so she could have quick and convenient access to all the care she needed in one location.
While Marcia did not want to leave Quincy for her care, she appreciated Dr. Scoggin’s concern for her.
“In being treated by Dr. Scoggin for over a year, I knew she would steer me in the right direction. I had 100% faith in her,” Marcia said.
Marcia gets great news
As she waited to be scheduled for the Mohs procedure and plastic surgery in St. Louis, Marcia heard from Dr. Scoggin that plastic surgeon Arshad Muzaffar, MD, was joining Blessing Health and because of that, both her surgeries could be done in Quincy.
Dr. Arshad Muzaffar
Dr. Muzaffar is a double-board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and Yale Medical School graduate. Just like Dr. Scoggin, he was prepared to handle the challenge Marcia’s cancer posed.
“Reconstruction of defects in all areas of the body as the result of cancer excisions or trauma or congenital abnormalities (birth defects) are very typical in a comprehensive plastic surgery practice,” Dr. Muzaffar said.
Marcia was excited by the news and even more excited by the skill and tremendous teamwork of her doctors. Dr. Scoggin did the Mohs surgery one day and Dr. Muzaffar performed the reconstruction the next day.
“We can give people expeditious care,” said Dr. Muzaffar. “They can get their skin cancer removed and then have the area reconstructed if needed with a good functional and cosmetic outcome.”
“It can be a seamless process for them. Dr. Scoggin and I have good, established communication. That helps get the patient’s needs addressed without a lot of running around,” he concluded.
“Now I can do complex, challenging Mohs surgeries knowing that I have someone who can reconstruct a defect very, very well,” Dr. Scoggin said of Dr. Muzaffar. “He is an excellent surgeon.”
Marcia gets her “glow” back
The mother-of-the-bride-to-be and her doctors agree that Marcia healed well.
“I am ready for the wedding in December,” Marcia exclaimed. “And I’ve been spreading the news all over. Quincy has top notch physicians at Blessing.”
For more information on the care provided by Dr. Scoggin and Susan Meidl, MD, dermatologist at Blessing Health’s Hannibal Clinic, click here.
In addition to his care of adults, Dr. Muzaffar performs pediatric plastic surgery. For more information about the care he provides, click here.
Thank you to Kayla Huber, owner, Eighth Avenue Villager, Quincy, for providing her store for the photo that appears with this story.
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Ray and Pam Smith pass other dermatology offices during their every-two-to-three month drive from their Lake of the Ozarks, MO, home to the office of Blessing Health dermatologist Elise Scoggin, DO, in Quincy.
“I could drive less than two miles from my home to see a dermatologist,” Ray said. “It’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive for us to get to Quincy. But it is worth every second because I know I am going to get great care and service.” Click here to read Ray's story.
Pediatric Plastic Surgery
Plastic and reconstructive surgery for children can improve function, appearance and quality of life by addressing developmental and congenital conditions, or injuries. At Blessing, Arshad Muzaffar, MD, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, provides expert, specialized care focused on kids.
Board certified in plastic surgery and hand surgery and fellowship trained in pediatric Craniofacial and hand surgery, Dr. Muzaffar is experienced in a broad range of specialized surgeries including craniofacial surgery and hand surgery. Click here to learn more.