Skin Cancer Images

Skin cancer images will help you see the difference between the types of skin cancer. For example, a basal cell cancer will look like a pearly lump on the top of the skin. It will start small and round and will grow deep to the tissues, destroying any tissue beneath the skin. It is a good idea to have them removed when they are small.

Squamous cell skin cancer will look scaly and red. They will not often be raised, except for the scales. Squamous cell skin cancer will also grow deep inside the tissue. Besides destroying tissue, some squamous cell skin cancer will sometimes travel to other body organs. This is called metastasis.

Malignant melanoma will be very colorful. This is because malignant melanoma comes from the melanocytes of the skin. These are the cells that give us our pigmentation. Malignant melanoma will look like a disorganized mole.

At this web site is a slide show to illustrate the different types of skin cancer.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melanoma/DS00575

What a Skin Cancer Mole Looks like

A skin cancer mole picture will look like a mole that has pigment that has spread beyond the border of the mole. The color of the skin cancer mole can change over time. It can be dark, like a black mole, or can be multicolored. A skin cancer mole picture can look like a flat new freckle that is irregular and disorganized.

A skin cancer mole will only rarely be a smooth round mole. It looks disorganized with pigment all over the place. The pigment may be brown but is often black, red, yellow, orange or pink. It is usually many colors together in the same place so it looks like a mosaic.

A skin cancer mole is almost always malignant melanoma. This is because it is the only type of skin cancer that is pigmented. Remember that malignant melanoma can arise from normal skin and not just from a mole.

Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratoses are common patches on the face, arms and hands of older people. They are flat and scaly and exist on a red or brownish base. They can itch frequently. The patches can be smaller than a dime or larger than a quarter.

The skin cancer images of actinic keratoses look similar to squamous cell skin cancer. This is because actinic keratoses turn into squamous cell skin cancer if not treated carefully. Doctors can get rid of actinic keratoses before they turn into cancer.

The usual treatment of actinic keratoses is cryotherapy. Doctors use cryotherapy to freeze off the cells in actinic keratoses. The frozen cells then die and fall off so they don’ turn into a squamous cell skin cancer. Sometimes more than one treatment is necessary to get rid of the patches.

Early Skin Cancer Mole Picture

You should check your skin every month for changing moles. If you catch it early, malignant melanoma has a survival rate of 99 percent. You should use a mirror to check your scalp and your back. Malignant melanoma is common on backs and legs.

Look at every mole and see if it is changing in color. Make sure the raised portion of the mole has all of the pigment. Make sure the pigment has not spread beyond the border of the skin cancer mole.

If you find a mole that has changed or that bleeds, see your doctor right away. The doctor will remove the mole. A shave biopsy might be done. The doctor might also do a biopsy that removes the mole and all its pigment. It goes deep to the surface of the skin and removes all traces of pigment.

If the skin cancer mole is cancerous, it must be treated further. Wider margins around the mole must be made so that no skin cancer remains. Doctors must check the lungs, bone and colon for any malignant melanoma remaining in the body. Lymph nodes must be checked as well.

When the Skin Cancer Images look Bad

When you think a patch of skin looks bad, the doctor needs to look at it. In some cases it might not actually be a skin cancer. You could have eczema or psoriasis. If you have been exposed to the sun or have burned frequently, you are at greater risk for skin cancer.

The skin cancer lesion often shows up on sun-exposed areas. Squamous cell carcinoma shows up on the face, neck, arms and hands. Basal cell carcinoma shows up on the face and neck mostly. It rarely shows up anywhere else but you should check your scalp for a lesion. Malignant melanoma can show up anywhere. It is commonly on the trunk and legs.

The reason why malignant melanoma shows up on the leg or trunk is because they are rarely exposed to the sun but when they are, they burn frequently. Always check your back for malignant melanoma.

Written by: Dr. Christine Traxler
Edited by: Margaret Stenerson
July 13, 2010