How to Know if You Have Skin Cancer

How to Know if You Have Skin Cancer

Skin cancers often have a distinct visual appearance that you can spot if you keep an eye on your skin. Dr. Dohner and his team can catch skin cancer and remove it in its very early stages. Keep an eye out for these skin cancer symptoms:

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This cancer develops in the squamous cells forming the skin’s outer layers. You might notice:

• Itching, burning, or irritated spot
• Sensitive or painful bumps
• Flaky or scaly patch
• A firm red bump

Basal Cell Carcinoma

This skin cancer develops in deeper layers of the skin. You might see signs such as:

• Shiny or pearly-looking bumps
• Spots that bleed, crust over, and come back
• Sores that do not heal

Melanoma

This form of skin cancer grows more quickly and can become dangerous. It affects the melanocytes, cells in the skin that produce pigment. Patches of melanocytes appear as moles, and most will never cause any harm. However, you should become familiar with your moles and schedule an appointment if you notice any of these:

• A for asymmetry – moles that have an unusual shape
• B for borders – moles with borders that look irregular or uneven
• C for color – moles that develop more than one color
• D for diameter – moles over 6mm in size, about the size of a pencil eraser
• E for evolution – moles that are evolving or changing