How To Check For Skin Cancer
This article was medically reviewed by . Dr. Litza is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 786,826 times.
Early detection of skin cancer is important and can be lifesaving, especially for certain types of skin cancer such as melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It is estimated that 76,380 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2016 and over 13,000 will die from the skin cancer.XTrustworthy SourceAmerican Cancer SocietyNonprofit devoted to promoting cancer research, education, and supportGo to source Given that timing is so crucial to diagnosing and treating skin cancer, you should follow a few simple steps to learn how to detect skin cancer on your skin.
What Should I Do If I Have A Suspicious Spot
Make an appointment with your physician or a dermatologist as soon as possible. If your physician sees something of concern, he or she will usually refer you to a dermatologist. While there are sometimes waiting lists for routine dermatology appointments, in cases where skin cancer is suspected, most dermatologists, including those at Roswell Park, will get you in for a screening as soon as possible.
As part of the physical exam, dermatologists use a dermatoscope, a special magnifying lens and light source held near the skin. If an area is suspicious, the physician will take a biopsy, removing all or part of the abnormal area for examination by a pathologist. At Roswell Park, our dermatopathologists pathologists who specialize in skin cancers conduct the laboratory examination and testing of the tissue. The biopsy is usually a minor procedure that includes numbing the area to be tested.
If the diagnosis is melanoma or certain types of squamous cell carcinoma, which have a risk of spreading, additional testing may be required to learn whether the cancer has grown deeper in the skin or has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body. These tests may include blood tests, imaging such as MRI, CT or PET scans or procedures, such as lymph node biopsy or removal.
Ways To Check For Skin Cancer With Your Smartphone
Your phone can help you recognize suspicious moles and marks, but you should still see a dermatologist about concerns.
Early detection of skin cancer could be the difference between a simple mole removal or several rounds of chemotherapy.;
While skin care advice most commonly comes about at the brink of summer, your skin can get damaged by UV rays no matter what time of year, no matter what the weather. Skin cancer accounts for;more diagnoses each year than all other cancers, but the good news is that early detection could be the difference between a simple mole removal or malignant cancer that spreads to other parts of the body.;
A handful of smartphone apps and devices claim to aid early detection and keep you on track with regular self-exams. You can capture photos of suspicious moles or marks and track them yourself, or send them off to a dermatologist for assessment. Either way, these apps can be helpful, but they do have limitations, so it’s important to follow conventional wisdom to protect yourself. Here’s what you need to know about using your smartphone to detect skin cancer.;
Read more:;Wrinkles, sun damage & acne scars: This machine revealed all of the flaws on my face;|;Best sunscreens for 2020: Neutrogena, EltaMD, Supergoop and more
Also Check: What Happens If You Ignore Basal Cell Carcinoma
What Do The Results Mean
If a mole or other mark on your skin looks like it might be a sign of cancer, your provider will probably order another test, called a skin biopsy, to make a diagnosis. A skin biopsy is a procedure that removes a small sample of skin for testing. The skin sample is looked at under a microscope to check for cancer cells. If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, you can begin treatment. Finding and treating cancer early may help prevent the disease from spreading.
My Annual Skin Cancer Screening
My friend owns the Dermatology Center of Connecticut, so I put on my big girl pants to have her check me out. You can watch the entire process from the anxious car ride there to the full body screening and listen to what she has to say about the importance of having your skin checked at least once a year. One big takeaway wear a moisturizer with an SPF on your face EVERY DAY not just in the summer. The sun is shining year round, so protect your precious self.
Recommended Reading: How Serious Is Skin Cancer
Human Bodies And Associated Odors
Detecting cancers of the human body by the odors they emit makes sense. This is because our bodies give off different odors based on many variables and sickness is just one of them.
For example, certain foods especially change the odor of human breath, sweat, urine, and defecation. Medications can also change those odors. In the early 21st century, we find that cancers change this odors as well. This is because all cells in the body ingest nutrients and give off wastes. Cancerous cells give off wastes as well, but of a different odor based on chemical composition, than do healthy cells.1,2,3,5,6
The forearm naturally emits a different odor than does the back. Cancer in each of these areas also emits different chemical “odors.”
Pixabay
My prediction is that an electronic olfactory diagnosis instrument can become the go-to method for early detection of melanoma, the most deadly of skin cancers. The instrument could possibly be adjusted to become a smartphone app like “The Epic Health App” to monitor blood glucose level, body temperature, blood pressure, respiration rate, blood oxygen saturation, and insulin resistance by placing a finger on the screen of an android phone.
Skin cancers can be deadly, especially sun-related melanoma; but new methods of detection are helping to arrest them – including detection by odor.
Pexels
Be Attuned To Any Visible Change
A change in a moles shape, size, or color indicates that melanoma may be brewing, notes Dr. Harvey. An uptick in mole elevation raises red flags, too, since that suggests vertical growth beneath the surface of the skin. In fact, a new bump may point to nodular melanoma, the second most common type of melanoma, accounting for 10% to 30% of all cases. Remember, skin cancer can resemble something as nondescript as a pimple or red patch, so its important to check your skin often and take note of all changes, says Dr. McNeill.
Also Check: How Often Does Basal Cell Carcinoma Spread
A Birthday Check For Your Birthday Suit
Most doctors recommend performing a monthly self-check for skin cancer. Additionally, a dermatologist should check for skin cancer on a yearly basis. Many experts advise thinking of the yearly skin check like a birthday present for a persons birthday suit.
To perform a skin check at home, find a well-lit room with a full-length mirror. Examine skin for any new moles or growths as well as for any changes in current moles or growths. Make sure to look at less common places like elbows and soles of feet. People with fair skin or many freckles are at a higher;risk;for skin cancer and will want to take extra care to check for new freckles or moles.
How To Check Yourself For Skin Cancer
The SCF;recommends that people conduct skin self-exams at least once a month or more if you have risk factors such as an inherited gene that predisposes toward skin cancer, or if you have spent a lot of time in the sun.
This check, which should be done in a well-lit room with a floor-length mirror and a hand mirror, should not take long once you get the hang of it.
Youll need to examine every inch of your skin, from your scalp to the bottoms of your feet and nails. A;self-exam body map;can help keep track of whats normal for you and whats not.
The more often you do these self-exams, the more familiar you will be with every freckle, mole, sore, lump, and blemish on your body and the better you will be at recognizing potential trouble in the form of new markings or changes in the size, shape, or color of existing spots.
Overall, heres the bottom line on what you should be looking for, according to the American Academy of Dermatology : a mole or skin lesion that changes in size, shape, or color, as well as spots that itch or bleed. Also watch for a new growth or a sore that doesnt heal.
Knowing your body and all of its unique spots is the first step in knowing what to look for when it comes to early signs and symptoms of skin cancer.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Most Aggressive Skin Cancer
You May Like: How Do You Cure Melanoma
How Are Moles Evaluated
If you find a mole or spot that has any ABCDE’s of melanoma — or one that’s tender, itching, oozing, scaly, doesn’t heal or has redness or swelling beyond the mole — see a doctor. Your doctor may want to remove a tissue sample from the mole and biopsy it. If found to be cancerous, the entire mole and a rim of normal skin around it will be removed and the wound stitched closed. Additional treatment may be needed.
Screening Information For Non
Early detection and recognition of skin cancer are very important. More than 75% of non-melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed by patients or their families. Recognizing the early warning signs of skin cancer and doing regular self-examinations of your skin can help find skin cancer early, when the disease is more likely to be cured.
Self-examinations should be performed in front of a full-length mirror in a brightly lit room. It helps to have another person check the scalp and back of the neck. For people with fair skin, non-melanoma skin cancer most often begins in places that are frequently exposed to the sun. For people with darker skin, squamous cell carcinoma often occurs in areas that are not as frequently exposed to the sun, such as the lower legs.
Include the following steps in a skin self-examination:
-
Examine the front and back of the entire body in a mirror, then the right and left sides, with arms raised.
-
Bend the elbows and look carefully at the outer and inner forearms, upper arms , and hands.
-
Look at the front, sides, and back of the legs and feet, including the soles and the spaces between the toes.
-
Part the hair to lift it and examine the back of the neck and scalp with a hand mirror.
-
Check the back, genital area, and buttocks with a hand mirror.
Talk with your doctor if your hairdresser or barber has noticed a suspicious lesion on your scalp or under your beard, or if you find any of the following during self-examination:
Read Also: How Is Skin Cancer Diagnosed
Am I At Risk For Skin Cancer
Anyone can get skin cancer, regardless of skin color. However, some factors increase your risk, including:
- A personal history of skin cancer
- Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun
- Blue or green eyes
- A history of indoor tanning
- Certain types and a large number of moles
- A family history of skin cancer
- Having had a lung, heart, kidney, pancreas or liver transplant
Skin Cancer Detection And Treatment
To diagnose skin cancer, a physician can examine your skin to determine whether your skin changes are likely to be skin cancer.The doctor could also remove any suspicious skin for testing. Skin lab testing can determine whether you have cancer and, if so, what type of skin cancer you have. If the doctor determines you have skin cancer, you may have additional tests to determine the stage of skin cancer.Additional tests may include imaging examination to inspect the nearby lymph nodes for symptoms of cancer or a process to remove an adjacent lymph node and test it for signs of cancer.
Read Also: What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Melanoma
Training Schools For Cancer
Trained dogs have been found to detect a number of cancers through their specialized canine olfactory system.6 Lung cancer seems to be their toughest challenge, suggesting that the electronic nose would be better used for finding lung cancers in the early stages. Medical detection dogs are trained at the following facilities”
In Situ Foundation; Chico, California. This foundation trains dogs to sniff out cancer in at least 11 US States, Canada, South America, and Europe. https://dogsdetectcancer.org/bio-dog-certified-trainers/
Medical Detection Dogs: 3 Millfield Greenway Business Park, Winslow Road, Great Horwood, Milton Keynes MK17 0NP, United Kingdom
Penn Vet Working Dog Center. 3401 Grays Ferry Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
What You Need To Know About Early Detection
Finding melanoma at an early stage is crucial; early detection can vastly increase your chances for cure.
Look for anything new,changing or unusual on both sun-exposed and sun-protected areas of the body. Melanomas commonly appear on the legs of women, and the number one place they develop on men is the trunk. Keep in mind, though, that melanomas can arise anywhere on the skin, even in areas where the sun doesnt shine.
Most moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are harmless but not always. The ABCDEs and the;Ugly Duckling sign can help you detect melanoma.
Early detection makes a difference
99%5-year survival rate for patients in the U.S. whose melanoma is detected early. The survival rate drops to 66% if the disease reaches the lymph nodes and27% if it spreads to distant organs.
You May Like: How To Remove Skin Cancer Yourself
What Should You Look For
You should be on the lookout for any unusual spots on your skin. One study found more than 40 percent of melanomas are discovered by patients themselves, according to the American Cancer Society .
Regular self-exams can help you spot new growths or changes. Many doctors recommend performing these checks once a month.
Its best to examine your skin in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. You can use a handheld mirror for harder-to-see areas, like the back of your thighs.
Be sure to look at all areas of your skin, including your palms, soles, ears, scalp, nails, and your back. If you cant see these spots, ask a family member or friend to help you.
Look for any lesions that are new or have changed in size, shape, color, or texture. Any sore, lump, or blemish that looks or feels unusual may also be a warning sign. Some skin cancers may appear as red, scaly, crusty, or swollen, and they may ooze or bleed. They can be painful, itchy, or tender.
According to SkinCancer.net, signs of melanoma may include a spot that:
- Is asymmetrical
- Has an irregular, blurred, or ragged border
- Includes different shades of brown or black, or sometimes patches of pink, red, white, or blue
- Is larger than 6 millimeters in diameter
- Changes in shape, size, or color
Screening For Skin Cancer
While early detection and treatment of skin cancer can improve patient outcomes,4 convincing data regarding the benefit of mass screening programs are lacking.5 In addition, the ability to identify potentially malignant lesions varies with physician training.6; Thus, except for very high-risk persons with a history of skin cancer or atypical mole syndrome, for whom periodic screening is universally recommended, there is considerable debate about who should be screened, who should perform the screening and how often screening should be performed .7; Part of the screening process should include an assessment of patient risk .1,812
Skin Cancer Screening Recommendations from Various Organizations
American Academy of Dermatology; Skin Cancer Foundation; and American Cancer Society
*Available at www.aafp.org/policy/camp/app-dc.html.
Information from Public Health Service. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Clinician’s handbook of preventive services. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1994:155.
Skin Cancer Screening Recommendations from Various Organizations
American Academy of Dermatology; Skin Cancer Foundation; and American Cancer Society
*Available at www.aafp.org/policy/camp/app-dc.html.
Information from Public Health Service. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Clinician’s handbook of preventive services. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1994:155.
Don’t Miss: Can Skin Cancer Be Cured With Cream
Tests For Melanoma Skin Cancer
Most melanomas are brought to a doctors attention because of signs or symptoms;a person is having.
If you have an abnormal area on your skin that might be cancer, your doctor will examine it and might do tests to find out if it is melanoma, another type of skin cancer, or some other skin condition. If melanoma is found, other tests may be done to find out if it has spread to other areas of the body.
What Happens During A Skin Cancer Screening
Skin cancer screenings may be done by yourself, your primary care provider, or a dermatologist. A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in disorders of the skin.
If you are screening yourself, you will need to do a head-to-toe exam of your skin. The exam should be done in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. You’ll also need a hand mirror to check areas that are hard to see. The exam should include the following steps:
- Stand in front of the mirror and look at your face, neck, and stomach.
- Women should look under their breasts.
- Raise your arms and look at your left and right sides.
- Look at the front and back of your forearms.
- Look at your hands, including between your fingers and under your fingernails.
- Look at the front, back, and sides of your legs.
- Sit down and examine your feet, checking the soles and the spaces between the toes. Also check the nail beds of each toe.
- Check your back, buttocks, and genitals with the hand mirror.
- Part your hair and examine your scalp. Use a comb along with a hand mirror to help you see better. It may also help to use a blow dryer to move your hair as you look.
If you are getting screened by a dermatologist or other health care provider, it may include the follow steps:
The exam should take 10-15 minutes.
Read Also: How Quickly Can Melanoma Appear