Signs of Cancer on Skin

According to the National Institutes of Health, cancer on the skin is the most common form of the disease in the United States. Basal cell and squamous cell cancer are the most common types of skin cancer. Though less common, melanoma is the most deadly of the cancers that affect the skin. Skin cancer is most common in people over 50, in those who spend the most time in the sun, light-skinned people and those with a genetic disposition to the disease. Signs of the cancer typically are noticed as changes or unusual discolored spots on the skin.

Growths

The most common signs of cancer on skin are growths or moles that can take many shapes, report doctors at the American Academy of Dermatology. Cancerous growths can be round and translucent or a shiny, scaly cluster of lesions. Sores that heal and re-open continually can be symptoms of skin cancer. Mole-like growths that continue to get bigger and become dry and itchy can signal the beginning stages of cancer. Lesions that feel smooth and waxy also can indicate cancerous cells. Skin cancer moles usually are asymmetrical, meaning that both sides do not match. Most skin cancer lesions and moles are about six millimeters in diameter, about the size of a pencil eraser, though melanomas may be larger or smaller. The borders of a skin cancer growth typically are irregular and jagged. The most common signal of skin cancer is that the growth changes over a short period of time, changing in color, size or texture.

Color

The color of skin cancer symptoms can vary from pearly gray or brown on the skin to black or brown discolorations underneath the nails. Red or purple patches on the skin can indicate early signs of a deadly skin cancer called Kaposi sarcoma, report doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Shiny nodules on the scalp can develop in shades of pink, blue or red that are indicators of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and dangerous form of skin cancer. Brown or dark pink patches on the skin may point to precancerous cells that must be treated because they can develop into cancer. As with the growths, changes in color should be watched for because, as the cancer grows, it often changes.

Placement

While most skin cancers, particularly basal and squamous cell cancers, develop primarily on areas of the body that are most exposed to the sun, other symptoms of melanoma skin cancer can appear anywhere on the body. Sun-induced skin cancer typically is found on the scalp, neck, face and arms. Women often find cancer growths and lesion on their legs. Melanoma, on the other hand, usually appears on the trunk, in areas not receiving extended periods of sunlight exposure. Dark lesions or dome-shaped, firm shiny bumps that appear on the soles of the feet, in the rectum or vagina may signal cancerous growths. Other areas that may be affected by melanoma include inside the mouth and nose, on fingertips and toes and on the palms of the hands.