Signs & Symptoms
There are a variety of different skin cancer symptoms.
These include:
- changes in the skin that do not heal
- ulcering in the skin, discolored skin
- and changes in existing moles: uch as jagged edges to the mole, and enlargement of the mole
- Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the head, neck or shoulders. Sometimes small blood vessels can be seen within the tumor. Crusting and bleeding in the center of the tumor frequently develops. It is often mistaken for a sore that does not heal. This form of skin cancer is the least deadly and with proper treatment can be completely eliminated with not so much as a single scar
- Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly a red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. Ulceration and bleeding may occur. When SCC is not treated, it may develop into a large mass. Squamous cell is the second most common skin cancer, it is dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as Melanoma
Most melanomas are brown to black looking lesions. Signs that might indicate a malignant melanoma include change in size, shape, color or elevation of a mole. Other signs are the appearance of a new mole during adulthood or new pain, itching, ulceration or bleeding.
There is an ABCD rule that can be applied when excamining a mole for possible cancerous changes:
- A: Asymmetry of the lesion is a suspicious sign in contrast to the symmetric, regular shapes of innocent moles.
- B: Irregular, poorly defined Borders should arrouse suspicion as normal moles have definite borders between the mole and the healthy skin.
- C: Non-uniform Colouration or the development of other colours within the lesion- blue, grey, red or particularly a deep black hue- indicate a lesion that is developing abnormally. Also, the appearance of islands of ‘normal’ skin within the dark lesion should arouse suspicion.
- D: An increase in the Diameter of a lesion should arouse suspicion. Therefore a sudden acceleration in the growth rate of a lesion is worrisome.
When diagnosing the problem in it’s early stages, the problem can be stopped before it become too serious.
