What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Skin Cancer

Basal Cell And Squamous Cell Carcinomasigns And Symptoms

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn’t heal. The cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. It also may appear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, the lump bleeds or develops a crust.

Both basal and squamous cell cancers are found mainly on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun the head, face, neck, hands and arms. But skin cancer can occur anywhere.

An early warning sign of skin cancer is the development of an actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin lesion caused by chronic sun exposure. These lesions are typically pink or red in color and rough or scaly to the touch. They occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin such as the face, scalp, ears, backs of hands or forearms.

Actinic keratoses may start as small, red, flat spots but grow larger and become scaly or thick, if untreated. Sometimes they’re easier to feel than to see. There may be multiple lesions next to each other.

Early treatment of actinic keratoses may prevent them from developing into cancer. These precancerous lesions affect more than 10 million Americans. People with one actinic keratosis usually develop more. Up to 1 percent of these lesions can develop into a squamous cell cancer.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed skin cancer. In recent years, there has been an upturn in the diagnoses among young women and the rise is blamed on sunbathing and tanning salons.

• Raised, dull-red skin lesion

Abcde Melanoma Detection Guide

A is for Asymmetry

Look for spots that lack symmetry. That is, if a line was drawn through the middle, the two sides would not match up.

B is for Border

A spot with a spreading or irregular edge .

C is for Colour

Blotchy spots with a number of colours such as black, blue, red, white and/or grey.

D is for Diameter

Look for spots that are getting bigger.

E is for Evolving

Spots that are changing and growing.

These are some changes to look out for when checking your skin for signs of any cancer:

• New moles.
• Moles that increases in size.
• An outline of a mole that becomes notched.
• A spot that changes colour from brown to black or is varied.
• A spot that becomes raised or develops a lump within it.
• The surface of a mole becoming rough, scaly or ulcerated.
• Moles that itch or tingle.
• Moles that bleed or weep.
• Spots that look different from the others.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer Symptoms

If a spot on your skin looks suspicious to you, theres one cardinal rule: Get to a doctor to have it checked out. Thats because all three of the most common skin cancers including the most dangerous, melanoma are 99 percent curable if diagnosed and removed early, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation .

Thats why a regular regimen of self-checks, as well as establishing a relationship with a dermatologist, is important in spotting skin cancer symptoms and treating skin cancer early and effectively.

The SCF recommends scheduling an appointment once a year with a dermatologist for a full-body skin check to screen for skin cancer.

If youre in a higher risk group, such as you have a history of atypical moles, your dermatologist may suggest coming in more often.

In advance of your appointment, you should examine your own body in order to start a conversation with your doctor about any skin changes. Avoid nail polish and makeup and keep your hair down so that you dont inadvertently keep any suspect moles hidden.

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What To Look For

Any new spots that appear on the skin could potentially be skin cancer, considering that one in five people will develop at least one skin cancer in their lifetime. Definitively distinguishing the different types of skin cancer requires a biopsy and microscopic evaluation, but the general appearance of these tumors also differs to some degree.

• Basal cell carcinomas are often shiny and have been described as “pearlescent.” They may be flat, raised, or dome-shaped, and are often pink, pale, or flesh-colored. On careful inspection, tiny blood vessels may be visible when compared with the surrounding skin. Basal cell cancer characteristically is very often ulcerated and has been called a rodent ulcer because it looks like a mouse has gnawed it.

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• Squamous cell carcinomas are often raised and feel crusty to touch. They can appear scaly and may be ulceratedthat is, have a central depression that is lighter and flatter than the surrounding area. These cancers sometimes bleed, ooze, or form scabs.

This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.

How Does Skin Cancer Become A Life

You may wonder how cancer on the surface of your skin becomes a life-threatening cancer. It seems logical to think you could just scrape off the skin with the cancer cells or even remove the cancerous skin lesion with a minor skin surgery and thats all that would be needed. These techniques are successfully used if cancer is caught early.

But if skin cancer isnt caught early, something thats just on my skin can grow and spread beyond the immediate area. Cancer cells break away and travel through the bloodstream or lymph system. The cancer cells settle in other areas of your body and begin to grow and develop into new tumors. This travel and spread is called metastasis.

The type of cancer cell where cancer first started called primary cancer determines the type of cancer. For example, if malignant melanoma metastasized to the lungs, the cancer would still be called malignant melanoma. This is how that superficial skin cancer can turn into life-threatening cancer.

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Possible Signs And Symptoms Of Melanoma

The most important warning sign of melanoma is a new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color.

Another important sign is a spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin .

If you have one of these warning signs, have your skin checked by a doctor.

The ABCDE rule is another guide to the usual signs of melanoma. Be on the lookout and tell your doctor about spots that have any of the following features:

• A is for Asymmetry: One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
• B is for Border:The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
• C is for Color:The color is not the same all over and may include different shades of brown or black, or sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue.
• D is for Diameter:The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across , although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
• E is for Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape, or color.

Some melanomas dont fit these rules. Its important to tell your doctor about any changes or new spots on the skin, or growths that look different from the rest of your moles.

Other warning signs are:

• A sore that doesnt heal
• Spread of pigment from the border of a spot into surrounding skin
• Redness or a new swelling beyond the border of the mole
• Change in sensation, such as itchiness, tenderness, or pain
• Change in the surface of a mole scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a lump or bump

Warning Signs Of Skin Cancer To Pay Attention To

According to the World Health Organization , there are approximately 132,000 cases of melanoma and 2 to 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed worldwide annually.

Signs of skin cancer can be subtle and difficult to identify, which can result in a delayed diagnosis. Being aware of the 7 most typical warning signs is the best way to prevent the most serious or fatal outcomes of a skin cancer by ensuring its earliest possible detection and diagnosis.

The 7 Signs

1. Changes in Appearance

Changes in the appearance of a mole or lesion is the simplest way to identify that something may not be right. While melanoma is the least common form of skin cancer, it is also the deadliest. Melanoma often appear as regular moles, but usually can be differentiated by some distinct characteristics. Use the ABCDE method to remember and detect these differences:

ASYMMETRY

The shape of the mole or lesion in question does not have matching halves.

BORDER

The edges of the mole or lesion are not clear. The color seems ragged or blurred, or may have spread into surrounding skin.

COLOR

The color is uneven. Different colors such as black, brown, tan, white, grey, pink, red or blue may be seen.

DIAMETER

If the suspicious mole or lesion changes in size there may be a problem. Increasing is more regular, but shrinking may also occur. Melanomas are typically a minimum of ¼ inch, or the size of a pencil eraser.

EVOLVING

ELEVATED moles that seem to stick out further on your skin.

5. Impaired Vision

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Types Of Skin Malignancies:

• Melanoma the least common form of skin cancer, but responsible for more deaths per year than squamous cell and basal cell skin cancers combined. Melanoma is also more likely to spread and may be harder to control.
• Nonmelanoma malignancies:
• Squamous cell cancer the second-most common skin cancer. It’s more aggressive and may require extensive surgery, depending on location and nerve involvement.
• Basal cell cancer the most common form of skin cancer. It is rarely fatal but can be locally aggressive.

These skin malignancies are typically caused by ultraviolet radiation from exposure to the sun and tanning beds.

How To Spot A Bcc: Five Warning Signs

Check for BCCs where your skin is most exposed to the sun, especially the face, ears, neck, scalp, chest, shoulders and back, but remember that they can occur anywhere on the body. Frequently, two or more of these warning signs are visible in a BCC tumor.

Please note: Since not all BCCs have the same appearance, these images serve as a general reference to what basal cell carcinoma looks like.

An open sore that does not heal

A reddish patch or irritated area

A small pink growth with a slightly raised, rolled edge and a crusted indentation in the center

A shiny bump or nodule

A scar-like area that is flat white, yellow or waxy in color

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Where Does Skin Cancer Develop

Skin cancer is most commonly seen in sun-exposed areas of your skin your face , ears, neck, arms, chest, upper back, hands and legs. However, it can also develop in less sun-exposed and more hidden areas of skin, including between your toes, under your fingernails, on the palms of your hands, soles of your feet and in your genital area.

Red Flags For Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Like basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer tends to develop on parts of the body that get a lot of sun, such as the face, neck, ear, lip, and back of the hands.

It might also appear in scars or skin sores anywhere on the body

While squamous cell carcinoma can look like a flat area closely resembling healthy skin, there may be clearer signs of malignancy, according to the SCF, including:

• Rough or scaly red patches that may bleed or crust
• Raised growths or lumps, sometimes with a depression in the center
• Open sores, possibly with oozing or crusted areas, that dont heal or that go through cycles of healing and bleeding
• Growths that resemble warts

Certain skin conditions may be precursors to squamous cell carcinoma, or even early forms of it:

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Who Gets Skin Cancer And Why

Sun exposure is the biggest cause of skin cancer. But it doesn’t explain skin cancers that develop on skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. Exposure to environmental hazards, radiation treatment, and even heredity may play a role. Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatest for people who have:

• Fair skin or light-colored eyes
• An abundance of large and irregularly-shaped moles
• A family history of skin cancer
• A history of excessive sun exposure or blistering sunburns
• Lived at high altitudes or with year-round sunshine
• Received radiation treatments

What To Do If You Notice Skin Changes

If you notice anything unusual on your skin, make an appointment to show it to your GP. It might help to take a photograph of anything unusual, so you can check for any changes. Remember there are many other skin conditions that are not cancer, especially in older people.

It can be more difficult to notice changes if you have darker skin. This is because symptoms of skin cancer may be less obvious than in people with paler skin. If you notice any changes, such as a sore that does not heal, always see your GP.

Macmillan is here to support you. If you would like to talk, you can:

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Where Within The Skin Layers Does Skin Cancer Develop

Where skin cancer develops specifically, in which skin cells is tied to the types and names of skin cancers.

Most skin cancers begin in the epidermis, your skins top layer. The epidermis contains three main cell types:

• Squamous cells: These are flat cells in the outer part of the epidermis. They constantly shed as new cells form. The skin cancer that can form in these cells is called squamous cell carcinoma.
• Basal cells: These cells lie beneath the squamous cells. They divide, multiply and eventually get flatter and move up in the epidermis to become new squamous cells, replacing the dead squamous cells that have sloughed off. Skin cancer that begins in basal cells is called basal cell carcinoma.
• Melanocytes: These cells make melanin, the brown pigment that gives skin its color and protects your skin against some of the suns damaging UV rays. Skin cancer that begins in melanocytes is called melanoma.

Looking For Signs Of Skin Cancer

Non melanoma skin cancers tend to develop most often on skin that’s exposed to the sun.

To spot skin cancers early it helps to know how your skin normally looks. That way, you’ll notice any changes more easily.

To look at areas you cant see easily, you could try using a hand held mirror and reflect your skin onto another mirror. Or you could get your partner or a friend to look. This is very important if you’re regularly outside in the sun for work or leisure.

You can take a photo of anything that doesn’t look quite right. If you can it’s a good idea to put a ruler or tape measure next to the abnormal area when you take the photo. This gives you a more accurate idea about its size and can help you tell if it’s changing. You can then show these pictures to your doctor.

• Northern Ireland Cancer Network, December 2012

• Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology VT De Vita, TS Lawrence and SA RosenbergWolters Kluwer, 2018

• Cancer and its managementJ Tobias and D HochhauserBlackwell, 2015

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How Common Is Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S.

Other skin cancer facts:

• Around 20% of Americans develop skin cancer sometime in their life.
• Approximately 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
• Having five or more sunburns in your life doubles your chance of developing melanoma. The good news is that the five-year survival rate is 99% if caught and treated early.
• Non-Hispanic white persons have almost a 30 times higher rate of skin cancer than non-Hispanic Black or Asian/Pacific Islander persons.
• Skin cancer in people with skin of color is often diagnosed in later stages when its more difficult to treat. Some 25% of melanoma cases in African Americans are diagnosed when cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Dark Lines On The Fingernails Or Toenails

The appearance of a dark area under a fingernail or toenail that appears without an obvious injury should always be investigated. Melanoma of the nail bed often presents when a pigmented streak of the nail involves the cuticle . These cancers are most common on the thumb and big toe but may occur on any nail.

While subungual melanomas are uncommon in whites, accounting for only around 1% of melanomas, they are the most common form of melanoma found in dark-skinned individuals.

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A Sore That Doesn’t Heal

Many skin cancers are first dismissed as being due to a bug bite, minor injury, or irritation, but become more obvious when they don’t go away over time. If you notice a sore on your skin that refuses to heal, even if it seems to be healing but then reappears, talk to your healthcare provider. In general, any skin change that hasn’t resolved on its own over a period of two weeks should be evaluated.

Skin Cancer Warning Signs

The main symptom of skin cancer is a mole or other growth on your skin. To find these growths, you need to look for them. Some doctors recommend that you do a full-body self-exam in front of a mirror once a month.

Most skin cancers develop in sun-exposed areas like your face, scalp, chest, arms, and legs so its important to check these areas.

Its also a good idea to check places that are rarely exposed, such as your palms, genitals, your fingernails and toenails, and the soles of your feet.

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