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University Hospital > Cancer Services > About Skin Cancer > Detection

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Skin Cancer Detection

Skin cancer can be 100 percent curable if it is found early. Therefore, it is important to receive regular skin examinations by a physician. You should also examine your skin regularly for new growths or changes. By checking your skin regularly, you will become familiar with your skin and you will more easily detect anything abnormal.

Examining Your Skin

You should examine your skin at least once a month. The best time to perform a skin exam is after you shower or bathe. You should use a full-length mirror and a hand-held mirror in a well lighted room. Check all areas of your skin, including the back, scalp, between the buttocks and the genital area. Look for anything new, such as a change in the size, shape, texture or color of a mole or a sore that has not healed. If you notice anything unusual, call your doctor immediately.

To make sure that you check all areas of your skin, follow these simple steps:

  1. Examine the front, back and sides of your body in the mirror.
  2. Bend your elbows and examine your fingernails, palms, forearms and upper arms.
  3. Examine the back, front and sides of your legs, as well as the buttocks and genital area.
  4. Examine your feet, including the toenails, soles and spaces between your toes.
  5. Examine your face, neck, ears and scalp. You may want to someone else check through your hair.

Signs and Symptoms of Skin Cancertop of page

A change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that does not heal, is the most common warning sign of skin cancer. The cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. It can also appear as a firm red lump. The lump can bleed or develop as a crust. Skin cancer can also start as a flat, red spot that is rough, dry or scaly.

Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratosis is known as a precancerous condition because it sometimes develops into squamous cell carcinoma. It appears as rough, red or brown, scaly patches on the skin.

Basal Cell Carcinoma (nonmelanoma)

Basal cell carcinoma is an early growth, sometimes with an area that won't heal. It can be translucent and gradually grow, or it can look like a sore that won't heal. It is found mainly on areas that are exposed to the sun, such as the head, neck, face, hands and arms.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (nonmelanoma)

Squamous cell carcinoma looks like a crusty, scaly patch with a hard, callous-like surface. Like basal cell carcinoma, it is found mainly on areas that are exposed to the sun, such as the head, neck, face, hands and arms.

Melanoma

The first sign of melanoma is often a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole. Most have a black or blue-black area. In watching for changes in your moles, remember the following "ABCD" signs:

  1. Asymmetry: The shape of one half of the mole does not match the other.
  2. Border: The mole's edges are ragged, notched, or irregular. The pigment, or color, may spread to the surrounding skin.
  3. Color: The color is uneven. Shades of black, brown, tan, white, gray, red, pink or blue may be seen.
  4. Diameter: There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas are usually larger than a pencil eraser.

Diagnosistop of page

In diagnosing skin cancer, your doctor will take a medical history, which includes questions about your age, when the mark on the skin first appeared, and whether it has changed in size or appearance. You may also be asked about past exposures to known causes of skin cancer, and whether anyone in your family has had skin cancer.

Your doctor will also perform a physical examination to find out the size, shape, color, and texture of the area in question. The rest of the body will also be examined for spots, moles or growths that may be related to skin cancer. The doctor may also examine lymph nodes in the groin, underarm, or neck areas near the abnormal area of skin. If the lymph nodes are enlarged, this may indicate that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

When an abnormal area on the skin is found, the doctor removes all or part of the growth in a procedure called a biopsy. If the growth is too large to be removed entirely, a sample of the tissue is removed. The doctor sends the tissue sample to the laboratory, where a pathologist or a dermatologist examines it under a microscope.