Skin Cancer Symptoms

Skin Cancer Candidates

Skin cancer can happen to anyone. People with pale skin and light hair are at a higher risk, but dark-skinned people can be affected, too. The amount of time you spend in the sun makes a difference; people who work outdoors in sunny climates tend to be at higher risk. Having bad sunburns during childhood increases your risk as an adult. And people with close family members who had skin cancer are more likely to develop it themselves.

Skin Cancer Appearance

Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body. Some cancers seem to prefer areas that get a lot of sun exposure, but even parts of the body that are usually covered can have cancerous growths.

Skin cancer may start out looking like:

• A new mole or bump
• A mole that has changed in size, shape or color
• A mole that has an irregular shape or isn't uniform in color
• A patch or bump that bleeds or crusts over and never seems to heal
• A pearly-looking bump
• A patch that looks like a scar and has a waxy appearance
• A cluster of small, pink or red bumps or lesions

For more information about skin cancer symptoms, including what to look for and how, visit the American Academy of Dermatologists.

Skin Examinations

Since there aren't a lot of early skin cancer symptoms, doctors recommend that everyone check their skin regularly for signs of cancer. Use a mirror to examine your back and other areas that aren't easy to see. You can also ask your spouse or a close friend to help. If you find a mole or spot that you're concerned about, call your doctor for an appointment right away. Don't wait to see if it gets worse; by the time you're sure it's cancer, it may already have spread to other parts of your body. Even skin cancers that aren't likely to spread can leave disfiguring scars if they're allowed to progress.

Some doctors will do a full skin exam at your yearly check-up, even taking pictures if you have a lot of moles. Pictures can be compared from year to year.

Cancer Types

There are many types of skin cancer, but most people who are affected will have one of the three most common types:

• Melanoma is the deadliest one form of cancer. It often looks like an irregular mole. It tends to metastasize, or spread, quickly.
• Squamous Cell Cancer often looks like a sore that won't heal. It can metastasize if not caught early.
• Basal Cell Cancer usually appears as a pearly-colored bump or waxy-looking scar. It's not likely to metastasize but can spread and grow, causing serious tissue damage and scarring.

Advanced Cancer

If you already have advanced skin cancer, skin cancer symptoms vary according to the type of cancer and how much it has grown. With cancers that metastasize, what you see on your skin may be the tip of the iceberg. Even if the skin change is small, the cancer could still be growing somewhere else inside your body.

Advanced basal cell cancer can look like a large bump or a big area of abnormal skin. The tumor can be round, flattish, or irregular and can be any color.

Advanced melanoma might just look like a small mole on the skin's surface, since it can spread to internal organs and do damage there. Some advanced melanomas look like large, dark-colored tumors on the skin. And some look like multiple moles or tumors, clustered in a group or a line.

Advanced squamous cell cancer can look like a large tumor, a sore that won't heal, or a large patch of thickened or irritated skin.

It's important to remember that skin cancers don't always look like the classic examples. Any mole or other skin change that worries you should be checked by your doctor.

For More on Skin Cancer Symptoms

Detailed information about skin cancer and skin cancer symptoms is available at:

• The National Cancer Institute.
• SkinCancerNet, sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatologists.
• The American Cancer Society