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Skin Cancer

See Also:
Skin Cancer: Introduction & Pictures
Skin Cancer: Types
Skin Cancer: Causes & Risk Factors
Skin Cancer: Signs & Symptoms
Skin Cancer: Stages
Skin Cancer: Medical Tests & Diagnosis
Skin Cancer: Treatment Options
Cancer Search Engine

Symptoms, Tests & Diagnosis Methods

Like any other type of cancer, skin cancer involves certain signs and symptoms.

The most common signs that can be noticed by a patient before consulting a doctor are:

  • Changes in color and size of a mole, a new skin growth, bump or node.

  • Changes in the skin color of the surrounding areas of the mole (the skin can become red or swollen, or the pigmentation will spread beyond the border of the spot, mark or mole).

  • Appearance changes like a scaly, oozing, bleeding, fragile, and a crusted or ulcerated look.

  • Sensation changes of the mole, skin growth or bump skin like itching, burning, tenderness or painful sensation.

According to the American Cancer Society's ABCD detection system for skin cancer, a mole's appearance may undergo 4 different changes: See Image at right.

  • Asymmetry: One half of the mole or the new skin growth does not match the other half.

  • Border irregularity: The edges of the mole or the new skin growth are irregular (ragged, notched or blurred).

  • Color changes: The pigmentation of the mole or the new skin growth is different and varies from one area to another including shades of tan, brown, black or sometimes even white, red or blue. It might be possible that a part of the mole or the new growth to completely lose its color.

  • Diameter: A sign of skin cancer is any size increase of an already existing mole or the occurence of a big mole or new skin growth with a size larger than 6 mm.

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See Also:
Skin Cancer: Introduction & Pictures
Skin Cancer: Types
Skin Cancer: Causes & Risk Factors
Skin Cancer: Signs & Symptoms
Skin Cancer: Stages
Skin Cancer: Medical Tests & Diagnosis
Skin Cancer: Treatment Options
Cancer Search Engine

Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com

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Page Last Modified:
03/07/2011