Catch the Symptoms of Skin Cancer Early for Effective Treatment

Skin cancer is said to develop mainly on sun-exposed areas that may include the face, scalp, ears, lips, chest, neck, hands and arms and even the legs in case of women. However, skin cancer could affect even those areas that are never exposed to the sun such as your palms, genital area or beneath toenails or fingernails.

Skin cancer may occur on practically all skin tones including dark-complexioned individuals. When melanoma strikes dark-complexioned people, it usually affects areas that are not really exposed to sunlight such as soles of your feet or palms of your hands.

Symptoms and Signs of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma mostly occurs in those areas of your body that are exposed to the sun such as your face and neck. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as a waxy or pearly bump. It may also, look like a flesh-coloured, flat lesion or even a brown scar-like lesion.

Symptoms and Signs of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Usually squamous cell carcinoma affects the sun-exposed body areas such as ears, face and hands. Dark-complexioned people get squamous cell carcinoma even on those areas of the body that are rarely exposed to sunlight. Squamous cell carcinoma usually appears as a firm red-coloured nodule. It may often appear as a flat lesion having a scaly and crusted surface.

Symptoms of Melanoma

Melanoma is said to develop in any part of your body. It could occur in normal skin or may be an existing mole would become cancerous. Men are mostly affected by Melanoma on the face and also, the trunk. Melanoma mostly affects the lower legs in women. However, this type of skin cancer could occur even in unexposed areas of the body, in both women and men. All skin tones could be affected by Melanoma. In dark-complexioned people, it could affect the soles and palms or under the toenails or fingernails.

Signs of Melanoma

• A big brownish looking spot that has darker speckles on it.
• A mole that has changed in size, colour or feel or may be a mole that bleeds.
• A small lesion having an irregular border with some portions looking blue, red, white or blue-black.
• Dark lesions that may appear on your soles, palms, toes, fingertips or even on mucous membranes that are lining your nose, mouth, anus or vagina.

When to Seek Clinical Assistance

See a doctor at once when you observe a sore, which is not healing. You should seek immediate medical help if you notice a pigment, irritation or redness that is advancing out of an area’s border to all around the skin. If you experience pain or itchiness consult a doctor. Whenever you notice a distinct change in texture or may be some kind of oozing, scales or bleeding from some pre-existing mole, see a doctor at the earliest. Consult a doctor when you find that there have been changes in the colour, size and shape of any existing spot.

Routine check-up is mandatory. Look for any new or abnormal growths. If you come across anything unusual, you should get in touch with experts at any reputed Skin Cancer Clinic Melbourne.