What Does Skin Cancer Look Like
Skin cancer may start as a new growth, a sore that does not heal or a change in the appearance of a mole or freckle. Skin cancers look different from one another. It is important look for skin cancer signs by knowing what your moles currently look like to be able to tell if they have changed and become cancerous. Skin cancers are generally found on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, including the head, neck, face, hands and arms.
What Are The Signs Of Skin Cancer
The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on your skin, typically a new growth, or a change in an existing growth or mole. The signs and symptoms of common and less common types of skin cancers are described below.
Basal cell carcinoma
Basal cell cancer is most commonly seen on sun-exposed areas of skin including your hands, face, arms, legs, ears, mouths, and even bald spots on the top of your head. Basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer in the world. In most people, its slow growing, usually doesnt spread to other parts of the body and is not life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms of basal cell carcinoma include:
- A small, smooth, pearly or waxy bump on the face, ears, and neck.
- A flat, pink/red- or brown-colored lesion on the trunk or arms and legs.
- Areas on the skin that look like scars.
- Sores that look crusty, have a depression in the middle or bleed often.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell cancer is most commonly seen on sun-exposed areas of skin including your hands, face, arms, legs, ears, mouths, and even bald spots on the top of your head. This skin cancer can also form in areas such as mucus membranes and genitals.
Signs and symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma include:
- A firm pink or red nodule.
- A rough, scaly lesion that might itch, bleed and become crusty.
Melanoma
Signs and symptoms of melanoma include:
- A brown-pigmented patch or bump.
- A mole that changes in color, size or that bleeds.
The Five Ss Of Sun Safety:
SLIP on a T-shirt
Intra-Epidermal Carcinoma
Bowens Disease is a precancerous skin lesion that has not yet penetrated the basement membrane, but can if left untreated, lead to Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
- Bowens disease = Intraepidermal Carcinoma = IEC = Squamous cell carcinoma in-situ.
- Bowens disease is a precancerous lesion. In-situ refers to the fact that the disease has not penetrated the basement membrane. Once this occurs, the lesion is a Squamous Cell Carcinoma a full blown skin cancer.
- Bowens disease typically presents as an asymptomatic, slow growing, sharply-demarcated, scaly erythematous patch or plaque. The border may be irregular.
- The surface may be flat, scaly, crusted, eroded, ulcerated, velvety or verrucous .
- Because of its asymptomatic nature, lesions may become very large by the time of presentation.
- Although Bowens disease can occur just about anywhere, common sites for presentation are the lower limbs and head and neck.
- Bowens disease occurs most commonly in later life and most patients aged over 60.
- Women are affected more than men.
- In approx. 3% of cases Bowens disease transforms to squamous cell carcinoma and about 1/3 of these will metastasise and become fatal.
The development of an ulcer or lump on a patch of Bowens disease may indicate the formation of invasive squamous cell cancer, so it is very important to seek professional advice with anything suspicious.
Recommended Reading: Well-differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma Prognosis
Excisional Surgery For Skin Cancer
Removal of the entire skin cancer along with a surrounding border of apparently normal skin. The typical normal skin margin is around 5mm. The incision is closed with sutures and the growth is sent to the lab to verify that all the cancerous cells were removed. MOHS surgery is a surgical treatment that is used to treat skin cancers on the face.
Dont Miss: Does Skin Cancer Itch Or Hurt
What Is The Outlook For People With Skin Cancer
Nearly all skin cancers can be cured if they are treated before they have a chance to spread. The earlier skin cancer is found and removed, the better your chance for a full recovery. Ninety percent of those with basal cell skin cancer are cured. It is important to continue following up with a dermatologist to make sure cancer does not return. If something seems wrong, call your doctor right away.
Most skin cancer deaths are from melanoma. If you are diagnosed with melanoma:
- The five-year survival rate if its detected before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 99%.
- The five-year survival rate if it has spread to nearby lymph nodes is 66%.
- The five-year survival rate if it has spread to distant lymph nodes and other organs is 27%.
Recommended Reading: Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Survival Rate
Does Skin Cancer Affect People With Skin Of Color
People of all skin tones can develop skin cancer. If you are a person of color, you may be less likely to get skin cancer because you have more of the brown pigment, melanin, in your skin.
Although less prevalent than in nonwhite people, when skin cancer does develop in people of color, its often found late and has a worse prognosis. If youre Hispanic, the incidence of melanoma has risen by 20% in the past two decades. If youre Black and develop melanoma, your five-year survival rate is 25% lower than it is for white people . Part of the reason may be that it develops in less typical, less sun-exposed areas and its often in late-stage when diagnosed.
Actinic Keratosis On An Arm
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Actinic keratosis, also called solar keratosis, is a precancerous skin lesion usually caused by too much sun exposure. It can also be caused by other factors such as radiation or arsenic exposure.
If left untreated, actinic keratoses can develop into a more invasive and potentially disfiguring skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. They appear predominantly on sun-exposed areas of the skin such as the face, neck, back of the hands and forearms, upper chest, and upper back. You can also develop keratoses along the rim of your ear.
Actinic keratosis is caused by cumulative skin damage from repeated exposure to ultraviolet light, including that found in sunshine. Over the years, the genetic material in your cells may become irreparably damaged and produce these pre-cancerous lesions. The lesions, like those seen here on the arm, can later become squamous cell carcinoma, a more invasive cancer.
Read Also: Invasive Ductal Cancer Prognosis
Surgery For Skin Cancer
Small skin cancer lesions may be removed through a variety of techniques, including simple excision , electrodesiccation and curettage , and cryosurgery .
Larger tumors, lesions in high-risk locations, recurrent tumors, and lesions in cosmetically sensitive areas are removed by a technique called Mohs micrographic surgery. For this technique, the surgeon carefully removes tissue, layer by layer, until cancer-free tissue is reached.
Malignant melanoma is treated more aggressively than just surgical removal. To ensure the complete removal of this dangerous malignancy, 1-2 cm of normal-appearing skin surrounding the tumor is also removed. Depending on the thickness of the melanoma, neighboring lymph nodes may also be removed and tested for cancer. The sentinel lymph node biopsy method uses a mildly radioactive substance to identify which lymph nodes are most likely to be affected.
Continued
You May Like: How Bad Is Melanoma Skin Cancer
Who Is Most At Risk For Skin Cancer
Although anyone can develop skin cancer, youre at increased risk if you:
- Spend a considerable amount of time working or playing in the sun.
- Get easily sunburned have a history of sunburns.
- Live in a sunny or high-altitude climate.
- Tan or use tanning beds.
- Have light-colored eyes, blond or red hair and fair or freckled skin.
- Have many moles or irregular-shaped moles.
- Have actinic keratosis .
- Have a family history of skin cancer.
- Have had an organ transplant.
- Take medications that suppress or weaken your immune system.
- Have been exposed to ultraviolet light therapy for treating skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.
Don’t Miss: Melanoma Stage 3 Life Expectancy
Symptoms & Signs Of Melanoma Mole
While not all moles turn out to be cancerous, it is important to look out for the symptoms and signs of melanoma
mole. This will help realize cancer early enough. As such, it will not have spread too much and will be easy to control. Like is always the case, the earlier the cancer cases are recognized the easier it will be to cure it without having to undergo intense procedures.
Any change in the features of a mole should not be taken lightly. To enhance the realization of any change, a monthly inspection of moles should be done. While at it, try and look out for the following changes known by the acronym ABCDEFG signs. While any of the ABCD melanoma moles symptoms are usually occur in the formative stages of the disease, any EFG sign of melanoma may be an indication that melanoma has begun spreading to nearby tissues. It is therefore important to consult a dermatologist early enough.
A: Asymmetry: If a line is drawn across or along the middle of the mole the two parts will not be similar.
B: Border: In the early stages of melanoma the borders change to being uneven. The edges become irregular.
C: Color: When a mole has different shades of color within it or is of a different color from other moles, there is a likelihood that this is a sign of melanoma in moles.
F: Firm/Feel: If the mole starts feeling different and is firmer than it was, that serves as a warning sign.
Other signs that one has to look out for include:
Recommended Reading: What Is Stage 4 Melanoma Cancer
What Are The Early Signs Of Skin Cancer On Your Face
Approximately 85% of skin cancer spots are found on a patients head, face, eyelids, and neck region. Detection in the early stages of skin cancer is key to treatment success, but do you know how to spot the early signs of skin cancer on your face? Before we review how to discern a potentially cancerous spot in the guide below, we will first need to discuss the most common types of skin cancer and how they might present on your skin.
You May Like: Is Melanoma Bad
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.
What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
Questions to ask your dermatologist may include:
- What type of skin cancer do I have?
- What stage is my skin cancer?
- What tests will I need?
- Whats the best treatment for my skin cancer?
- What are the side effects of that treatment?
- What are the potential complications of this cancer and the treatment for it?
- What outcome can I expect?
- Do I have an increased risk of additional skin cancers?
- How often should I be seen for follow-up checkups?
Read Also: Lobular Breast Cancer Survival Rate
Actinic Keratosis Signs And Symptoms
Many people have actinic keratosis , also called solar keratosis, on their skin. It shows that youâve had enough sun to develop skin cancer, and it is considered a precursor of cancer, or a precancerous condition.
Usually AK shows up on the parts of your body that have received the most lifetime sun exposure, like the face, ears, scalp, neck, backs of the hands, forearms, shoulders and lips.
Some of the same treatments used for nonmelanoma skin cancers are used for AK to ensure it does not develop into a cancerous lesion.
Appearance
This abnormality develops slowly. The lesions are usually small, about an eighth of an inch to a quarter of an inch in size. You may see a few at a time. They can disappear and later return.
- AK is a scaly or crusty bump on the skinâs surface and is usually dry and rough. It can be flat. An actinic keratosis is often noticed more by touch than sight.
- It may be the same color as your skin, or it may be light, dark, tan, pink, red or a combination of colors.
- It can itch or produce a prickling or tender sensation.
- These skin abnormalities can become inflamed and be encircled with redness. Rarely, they bleed.
Learn More About Stages Of Skin Cancer
All stages of skin cancer can be serious. Delaying treatment can cause unwanted complications, and in some cases, death. Fortunately, treatments with high success rates are now available and can help you restore your confidence, balance, and health. Contact Advanced Skin Canser and Dermatology Center in Wolcott, CT to schedule your consultation today. Well be happy to answer all your questions and recommend the best treatment options!
Read Also: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Grade 3 Survival Rate
The Basics Of Precancerous Skin
Precancerous skin usually develops from repeated and prolonged exposure to the suns UV rays. If you dont wear sun-protective clothing or appropriate sunscreen outdoors, those rays can damage your skin. While some of the damage may be noticeable immediately, such as a suntan or sunburn, over time, the damage can accumulate and lead to precancerous changes.
While most people can develop these issues, numerous factors can increase your risk, such as:
- Being older than age 40
- Having blond or red hair and light-colored eyes
- Having a long history of sun exposure or sunburns
- Living in a sunny place
- Tending to freckle or burn easily from sunlight
- Working outdoors
- Having a weakened immune system
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Early Stages
The second most common form of cancer in the skin is squamous cell carcinoma. At first, cancer cells appear as flat patches in the skin, often with a rough, scaly, reddish, or brown surface. These abnormal cells slowly grow in sun-exposed areas. Without proper treatment, squamous cell carcinoma can become life-threatening once it has spread and damaged healthy tissue and organs.
You May Like: Life Expectancy Metastatic Melanoma
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
Make an appointment to see your healthcare provider or dermatologist as soon as you notice:
- Any changes to your skin or changes in the size, shape or color of existing moles or other skin lesions.
- The appearance of a new growth on your skin.
- A sore that doesnt heal.
- Spots on your skin that are different from others.
- Any spots that change, itch or bleed.
Your provider will check your skin, take a biopsy , make a diagnosis and discuss treatment. Also, see your dermatologist annually for a full skin review.
S Of Moles Nevus Actinic Keratosis Psoriasis
Angela Underwood’s extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder.
Not all skin blemishes are cancerous, nor will they all become cancerous in the future. If you are worried about a spot on your skin, this gallery of photographs can help you distinguish between cancerous, noncancerous, and precancerous lesions.
Of course, diagnosing skin cancer is far from straightforward, so if you have any doubts, contact your dermatologist or primary care physician as soon as possible.
You May Like: Merkel Cancer Prognosis
The Ugly Duckling Sign
The “ugly duckling sign” is another warning method to help identify melanomas. Usually, moles on your body look quite similar to each other. However, compared to other moles, melanomas tend to stand out like an ugly duckling. The more you check your skin and become familiar with it, the easier it becomes to spot an ugly duckling early.
Oral Medications For Advanced Bcc
It is rare for skin cancer to reach advanced stages, but when it does, oral medications may help. In addition to chemotherapy, targeted drugs may be used to treat advanced skin cancer. Targeted therapy means that the medication is able to directly target the cancer cells without destroying healthy cells. This can help to reduce side effects from treatment.
Vismodegib and sonidegib are hedgehog pathway inhibitors that work to prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading. The capsules are taken once per day and may be considered after surgery and other treatments. These medications come with several possible side effects and should never be taken during pregnancy since they can affect fetal growth.
Cetuximab is an EGFR inhibitor that can help to stop the spread of cancerous squamous cells. Its possible side effects include skin infections, diarrhea, mouth sores, and loss of appetite.
Also Check: What Is Large Cell Carcinoma
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.