Aussie woman's 'stubborn pimple' ends in distressing diagnosis

A young Aussie woman who thought she'd merely grown a stubborn pimple on her forehead, only to find out years later that it was a type of cancer, has blasted the doctors who told her the spot would go away on its own and "was nothing to worry about".

Queensland woman Anna Rowe, 24, said the long-winded saga first emerged in 2020, when she noticed "a small red spot" on her forehead. Not thinking much of it at the time, Rowe assumed it was just a "stubborn pimple that wouldn't go away". It wasn't until her father encouraged her to get the marking checked that she sought medical advice.

First seeking treatment on the Gold Coast, Rowe said the initial doctor that treated her identified the growth as cancer, but his solution was just to burn it off. "Just like a mole," Rowe told Yahoo News Australia. "And that happened, like, five or six times, and at the end of it, I was just like, look, 'I don't think it's working — it's not changing'."

She said she was given an assortment of creams to use and told just to "wait" and that the growth would "go away on its own". Unimpressed by the offering, Rowe said she sought the advice of two additional doctors in Queensland over the ensuing years.

Neither were able to properly diagnose her. One of them even disputed the first doctor's diagnosis, telling her the marking wasn't cancerous after all.

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Years after growth emerged, diagnosis finally given

Realising the spot wasn't in fact going away on its own, the 24-year-old said she became increasingly "desperate" to find a definitive answer. Eventually, personal circumstances led her to relocate to Melbourne at the start of 2024, where she decided she would once again attempt to have the matter resolved.

"I moved down to Melbourne at the beginning of this year to do my masters," she said. "And within the first couple of months, I just noticed that it was growing quite rapidly, and a lot of people started to ask me about it, which is how I knew that it wasn't just me making it up in my head.

Rowe attended a specialist skin cancer clinic, where she said she was finally, years into her journey to find a diagnosis, given some clarity. "The doctor immediately agreed that something wasn't right," she recalled. "He did a biopsy, and then the results came back — it was cancerous."

Officially, Rowe was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that most often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun, such as the face. With a history of skin cancer in the family, Rowe said she believes genetics played a role in her diagnosis, but remains frustrated at the time it took to receive clarity.

Now, the young university student, who is studying for her master's, said she's desperately trying to raise the funds to have the cancerous growth removed. The surgery alone, Rowe said, will cost $6,000, with an additional two to three thousand expected in follow-up charges.

A fundraiser has been established to support Rowe with these costs. She said she encourages Aussies to always pay close attention to their skin. "Do the regular skin checks. Wear sunscreen. If you notice anything that feels a bit off to you, definitely go and get it checked," she said.

"And even if a professional tells you it's okay, but you know it still doesn't feel right — definitely fight for what you think yourself, and listen to your body."

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