Skin Cancer Symptoms
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of skin cells. If left
unchecked, these cancer cells can spread from the skin into other tissues and organs.
Skin cancers can have many different appearances. They can be small, shiny, or waxy;
scaly or rough; firm and red; crusty or bleeding; or have other features. Therefore,
anything suspicious should be looked at by a physician. See the individual articles on
specific skin cancers for more information.
Here are some symptoms to look for:
- Asymmetry: one half of the abnormal skin area is different than the
other half
- Borders: irregular borders
- Color: varies from one area to another with shades of tan, brown, or
black (sometimes white, red, blue)
- Diameter: usually (but not always) larger than 6mm in size (diameter of
a pencil eraser)
Use a mirror or have someone help you look on your back, shoulders, and other
hard-to-see areas.
Skin cancer symptoms - types of skin cancer
There are different types of skin cancer. Basal cell carncinoma is the most common.
Melanoma is less common, but more dangerous.
Skin cancer is the growth of abnormal cells capable of invading and destroying other
associated skin cells. Skin cancer is often subdivided into either melanoma or
non-melanoma. Melanoma is a dark-pigmented, usually malignant tumor arising from a skin cell capable of making
the pigment melanin (a melanocyte). Non-melanoma skin cancer most often originates from
the external skin surface as a squamous cell carcinoma or a basal cell carcinoma.
The cells of a cancerous growth originate from a single cell that reproduces
uncontrollably, resulting in the formation of a tumor. Exposure to sunlight is documented
as the main cause of almost 800,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed each year
in the U.S. The incidence increases for those living where direct sunshine is plentiful,
such as near the equator.
Basal cell carcinoma affects the skin's basal layer and has the potential to grow
progressively larger in size, although it rarely spreads to distant areas (metastasizes).
Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 80% of skin cancers (excluding melanoma), whereas
squamous cell cancer makes up about 20%. Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant growth of
the external surface of the skin. Squamous cell cancers metastasize at a rate of 2-6%,
with up to 10% of lesions affecting the ear and lip.
Location of Skin Cancer Symptoms
Squamous cell and basal cell skin
cancers are usually found on sun exposed areas such as the face, neck, and lower legs.
The more worrisome melanoma skin cancers are most frequently
found on the backs of men, or on the backs or legs in women. These tend to be larger than
a pencil eraser and have two or more colors (usually black and brown) as well as uneven
edges.
Benign moles are usually small, symmetrical, and a
single shade of brown with even edges. |