Expert: Walter Hintz - 2/22/2009

Question
QUESTION: About four years ago, I was asleep in bed and was awakened by something that I brushed off my cheek.  As it flew past my ear, I heard it buzz (like a mosquito sounds).  Turned on the light and searched and found a wounded bug (above description) on the floor.  This bug either bit me, or injected something.  I woke up the next morning with a red spot and a red ring, about the size of a nickel around it.  Well, it never healed completely (tiny red scaly spot) so I asked my dermatologist to biopsy it.  It was skin cancer and, yesterday I had surgery.  He opened the spot, cleaned out the cancer cells and sewed it up.  Then, under the "Moh's Procedure", he found he had not removed all of the cancer cells and had to remove more.  He cut the stitches and removed more and sewed it up again with additional stitches this time.  Then, it showed clear.  My question is:  What is this insect?  I live near Los Angeles and see them in the summer but have never seen one light upon anyone. They look, to me, exactly like a humongous mosquito...black.
Occasionally, when a door is opened, one flies into the house, but they are rather slow flying and easily smacked.  I am sitting here with this swollen, sore, sewed-up cheek and I'd like to know what hit me and also to warn others.  My dermatologist said he had read articles about such things,but I am suspecting he never looked for such an article until he operated on me.  I really thought he offered to do the biopsy, just to shut me up about it!  I hope you can identify the flying pest (and considering the pain I'm enduring, "pest" is a nice word for it!  Thanks for your trouble...never knew about this site before...it's great!

ANSWER: Hi Arlene;
First of all let me say that you my sympathy since I had a Mohs procedure from a skin cancer on my nose.
 I cannot really identify this bug.  Mosquitos do not leave such huge wounds so it could be a black fly of some kind.  I never heard of an insect bite causing skin cancer. I would think that the bite and the cancer is coincidental.
 I do not think that any doctor would perform surgery just to shut someone up.

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QUESTION: I was disappointed with your answer!  I've had eight Mohs procedures, including one on my nose, but this is different because it was such a large incision..about 1 1/2 inches. Also, it is exactly where the original bug bite was and never   completely healed, and the doctor and I both agree it was not a coincidence.  It looked nothing like a fly...it looked exactly like a huge mosquito and is very common here. Also, I said he did a "biopsy" to shut me up...he did surgery to remove the cancer cells.  I know it was not a mosquito because these insects are many times larger...they just LOOK like a mosquito.  The red spot it left was about 1/8" radius and the thin red ring around it was about nickel size.  The biopsy was the small red area that proved to be skin cancer.  And, my doctor clearly said mine was not the first bug bite to result in skin cancer.  Do you think I should ask someone else about this?  The insect is so common,I can't understand why you can't identify it.  Thanks so much for taking the trouble to answer, but I really would like to know more, and my Dermatologist wants to make a report and/or write an article.  Thanks again.  Arlene

Answer
I am sorry arlene that I could give you a definitive answer but this is a medical problem and I am not a dermatologist.
 I looked on the internet for information on insect bites and cancer. There are references to irritations and cancer but no reference to any insect.
If your doctor says that he has other cases like this I must accept that but as I stated I do not know of any black flying insects that cause cancer.  Since you have had seven skin cancers it appears that you have propensity for skin cancer.  Perhaps the irritation caused by a bite can trigger basal cell carcinomas.  It is worth looking into but cancer diagnosis and treatment is out my expertise.