5 Signs of Skin Cancer Other Than an Abnormal Mole
Dermatologists
always seem to be recommending a regular skin check at home—but do you know what
you’re looking for?
While the
most obvious sign of skin cancer is an abnormal-looking mole, or a spot that’s
grown or changed since the last time you checked, it’s not the only thing to
watch out for. (It is the most common sign of melanoma, however: Check moles
for asymmetry, uneven borders, color, diameter, and evolution, called the ABCDEs of melanoma.)
The three
major types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and melanoma—often
all look different, and some rarer types of skin cancer might be mistaken for
other skin
conditions entirely.
Read over
this refresher before the next time you give your largest organ the once-over.
A translucent, waxy bump
Sometimes
skin cancer shows up in the form of a clear or skin-colored bump. “A lot of
people don’t know what it is at first and think it’s a pimple or a bug bite and
give it a chance to heal,” says Susan Y. Chon, MD, associate professor in the
department of dermatology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
This could be an early-stage basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, she says,
even if it never hurts, bleeds, or causes other symptoms. “It doesn’t have to
be dramatic—but it’s not supposed to be there.”
If you
find a hard bump on your eyelid, it’s possible it could be a
sign of a rare skin cancer that starts in oil glands called sebaceous
gland carcinoma, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
And a
shiny or firm nodule under the skin–usually on your head, neck, or torso–could
be a sign of a rare skin cancer called Merkel cell
carcinoma, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A scaly patch
It’s easy
to brush off a bit of scaly skin as eczema or dryness. But if you moisturize or even
try treating a scaly patch with over-the-counter ointments and it doesn’t go
away, what you think might be a rash could be a sign of basal cell or squamous
cell carcinoma, Dr. Chon says. "It’s just a little patch of skin that’s
kind of scaly and not healing," she says. It might also be growing slowly,
she says.
Anything crusty or oozing
A
"classic" basal cell carcinoma lesion oozes, crusts over, and won’t
heal, Dr. Chon explains. “It’s like a chronic wound, the center doesn’t hold
together."
Any spots
that bleed, ooze, or crust should definitely be brought to a dermatologist’s
attention, she says.
Red or purple lesions
Merkel
cell carcinoma can also appear as a blue, red, or purple nodule, according to
the Mayo Clinic, and another rare cancer, Kaposi sarcoma, can show up as
discolored skin too.
Kaposi
sarcoma starts in blood vessels but it can result in red, purple, or
brown tumors or patches on the skin (or on mucous membranes, like the inside of your mouth), according to the American
Cancer Society. It usually only occurs in people with already weakened immune
systems, like people with AIDS.
Anything that doesn’t go away
Sometimes
other skin cancer symptoms aren’t all that obvious, Dr. Chon says, but one
telltale sign is that whatever spot you notice doesn’t go away. "People
get little bumps all the time from inflammation or bug bites, but they go away
in a few weeks," she says. "Most things should flatten out and get
gradually better and better."
Skin
cancer, she says, doesn’t. Instead, "it persists," she says, and may
eventually become symptomatic. Those spots are definitely worth talking to your
dermatologist about.
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