What should I look for?
Basal and squamous cell cancers
Basal cell cancers and squamous cell cancers are most often
found in areas that get exposed to a lot of sun, such as the head,
neck, and arms, but they can occur elsewhere. Look for new growths,
spots, bumps, patches, or sores that don't heal after 2 to 3 months.
Basal cell carcinomas often look like flat, firm, pale areas
or small, raised, pink or red, translucent, shiny, waxy areas that may
bleed after a minor injury. They may have one or more abnormal blood
vessels, a lower area in their center, and/or blue, brown, or black
areas. Large basal cell carcinomas may have oozing or crusted areas.
Squamous cell carcinomas may look like growing lumps, often
with a rough, scaly, or crusted surface. They may also look like flat
reddish patches in the skin that grow slowly.
Both of these types of skin cancer may develop as a flat area
showing only slight changes from normal skin.
Actinic keratosis, also known as solar keratosis, is a skin
condition that is sometimes pre-cancerous and is caused by too much sun
exposure. Actinic keratoses are usually small (less than ¼
inch), rough spots that may be pink-red or flesh-colored. Usually they
develop on the face, ears, back of the hands, and arms of middle-aged
or older people with fair skin, although they can arise in younger
people or on other sun-exposed areas of the skin. People with one
actinic keratosis usually develop many more. Some can grow into
squamous cell cancers, but others may stay the same or even go away on
their own. Because they can turn cancerous, such areas should be looked
at regularly by a doctor. Your doctor can then decide whether these
areas should be removed.
Melanomas
The "ABCD rule" is an easy guide to the usual signs of
melanoma. Be on the lookout and tell your doctor about any spots that
match the following description:
- 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 shades of brown or black, or sometimes with patches of
pink, red, white, or blue.
- Dis for DIAMETER:
The spot is larger than 6
millimeters across (about ¼ inch — the size of a pencil
eraser), although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
Another very important sign of possible melanoma is a change
in the size, shape, or color of a mole or the appearance of a new spot.
Some melanomas do not fit the ABCD rule described above, so it is very
important to tell your doctor about any changes in skin markings or new
spots on your skin.
Other warning signs are:
- a sore that does not heal
- spread of pigment from the border of a spot to
surrounding skin
- redness or a new swelling beyond the border
- change in sensation — itchiness, tenderness, or
pain
- change in the surface of a mole — scaliness,
oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a bump or nodule
- a mole that looks very different from your other
moles
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