In the mid-1990s, Judith “Judy” Hogan felt a lump on the back of her neck. Judy’s dermatologist at the time diagnosed her with basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer that can be caused by numerous factors, including smoking and sun exposure, and had it removed. More than 20 years later, Judy’s cancer returned with a vengeance.

The Deltona woman visited her dermatologist in July 2018 when her physician noticed some abnormal skin spots. Ten biopsies were taken from across the front of her neck, left cheek and nose, and, as suspected, they were deemed cancerous. Her dermatologist recommended scheduling a full body evaluation and discussing treatment options at UF Health Dermatology – Springhill in Gainesville.

In September 2018, Judy and her husband, Mark, traveled to Gainesville for the first of many procedures. Judy had a skin growth removed on the right side of her neck, but because of her daughter’s wedding in October, Judy asked to delay more extensive surgeries until after the big day.

On Dec. 13, Judy and Mark met with Mark Leyngold, M.D., cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon at UF Health, to coordinate a number of Mohs surgeries. Unlike more widely known cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, Mohs surgery is a type of outpatient surgery where surgeons carefully remove layers of skin to reach cancerous cells while also leaving healthy tissue intact. On Jan. 15, 2019, Judy had her first Mohs operation performed on her left cheek.

To read the rest of Judy’s story, click here.