I, too, am very fair and had multiple sun burns as a child and teen. Now I use sunblock whenever I am outside. I have had several procedures to remove basal cell cancers from various areas of this aging body! I used to go to a dermatologist, but he would "biopsy" the lesion and then have me come back a second time to remove whatever it was. Ridiculous. I started going to a wonderful surgeon. He looks at them, decides if they can be treated topically and, if not, excises them with a local anesthesia. Biopsy and removal in one step. I have used Aldara once on a lesion on my jaw and it worked very well. Yes, I got an ugly thing but it took away the lesion for good.

Presently, I am using Efudex (5-FU) cream on a lesion on my hand. After week or so of 2x daily use, it makes a raw area and then it heals and the lesion is gone.

I have a wonderful DH, who also happens to be a retired oncologist, so he watches out for any changes in moles, lesions, or whatever, that I have on me. If he recommends a removal, as opposed to the Efudex cream, then I go visit the surgeon and he takes it off.