Five Signs of Skin Cancer

There are five signs of skin cancer that you can look for to help you stay healthy. The signs of melanoma and other different types of skin cancers can be seen early. You just have to know what you're looking for.

A sign of skin cancer can be as small as an oddly shaped mole or a patch of skin that's a strange color. These areas can show up anywhere on your body, but they usually appear in places that have been exposed to the sun.

This is because sun exposure increases the chance of a cell turning into cancer. Pay special attention to these areas when you look at your skin:

• Problem areas may look ununsual, be textured, or seem like very large moles.
• They might grow quickly or be different colors in different areas.
• They are often irregular in shape and might even be painful or bleed.

Cancer can be hard to find

Not all skin cancer is like this, however. Some cancer can look just like a scar. These marks can be very hard to see and might not make you think twice until the cancer is very advanced.

This is a serious problem because advanced skin cancer can spread through your body and might even kill you. See your doctor if you find any unusual marks or areas on your skin. He can have a biopsy done. This procedure will help you understand whether or not you have skin cancer.

Sometimes a tumor that looks large can be very minor. This is because it hasn't spread into the lower layers of the skin.

Other tumors look small, but are actually very dangerous. These are deep tumors, and they are harder to remove completely. They can even become life threatening.

Most people who get skin cancer are over the age of fifty. If you match this description, be sure to have your doctor check out any suspicious marks on your skin. Be careful if you have a family history of skin cancer, too. A self examination might not show you the signs of melanoma fast enough.

A sign of skin cancer can be as small as an oddly shaped mole or a patch of skin that's a strange color.

The five signs of Skin Cancer

The five signs of cancer are also called the ABCDEs of skin cancer. These signs are each referred to by a letter that will help you remember what to look for. They're actually pretty simple to learn. When you do your skin self exam, make sure that you look at all these factors carefully. That will tell you if a mole or mark is something to worry about or if it's something that you can safely ignore.

A stands for Symmetry

A normal freckle or mole is shaped the same way on both sides. If you draw a line through the middle of it both sides look exactly the same. Spots that might be cancerous will be shaped differently on one side than they are on another. This feature doesn't mean that cancer is certain. It does mean you need to look at the mole more carefully.

B stands for border

You should look at the edge or border of every mole on your body. This is especially true for moles in places that get a lot of sun, like your face and arms. If a mole or spot has clean or well defined edges, it's probably not cancerous. If the edges look jagged, blurry, or like they're spreading across your skin, they could be a problem. Ask yourself if the mole used to have an even border. It might be cancerous if it's changed in appearance recently.

C stands for Color

Moles and spots on our skin can be all different colors. Many people have brown or black ones but some people also have red, gray, colorless or even blue areas on their skin. Moles are almost always the same color all over, though. Any mole that has more than one color in it should be looked at by a doctor. You should take care if you see spots of other colors in one of your moles. Moles you already have might get lighter or darker in places if they're cancerous, too.

D stands for Diameter

Moles are usually pretty small. That means that really big ones might turn out to have a tumor inside them. Moles that are bigger than a pencil eraser, or that are bigger than about a quarter inch across might be problems in disguise. Be extra concerned if the mole has grown quickly in a short period of time. Talk to your doctor right away if you have a mole that meets this description.

E stands for Elevation

Some moles are flat and other moles are raised. A mole with a raised surface isn't always one that has cancer, but raised moles are more likely to be problems. You should pay extra attention to it if the surface of the mole is uneven instead of being smooth. Uneven surfaces often mean that the mole is cancerous.

Don't lose Hope

These are the five main signs that a mark on your skin might turn out to be cancer. If you see a mark or a mole that has these symptoms, you should see your doctor soon. The earlier you catch your skin cancer, the better your chances are of defeating it. Start treatment early and you can stay cancer free!

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