Skin Cancer Signs & Diagnosis

The world’s most common cancer strikes one in five people by age 70. The good news is that most cases are curable if they are diagnosed and treated early enough. But in order to stop skin cancer, we have to spot it on time.

Signs of Skin Cancer

• A new mole, or a mole that changes in size, chape or color, or bleeds
• A pearly waxy bump
• A flat, pink/red or brown-colored patch or bump
• Areas on your skin that look like scars
• Sores that look crusty
• A wound or sore that won’t heal, or heals and comes back
• A rough, scaly lesion that may itch, bleed or become crusty
• Dark lesions on your palms, soles, fingertips or toes, or on mucous membranes lining your mouth, nose, anal cavity or vagina

Diagnosing Skin Cancer

To diagnose skin cancer:

• Your doctor will conduct an examination of your skin. They will determine if there have been any changes to your skin and if further testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis.
• If further testing is needed, your doctor will remove a sample of any suspicious skin, also known as a skin biopsy, or perform other tests (CT scan, chest x-ray, ultrasound, etc.). The biopsy and other tests will determine if you have skin cancer, the type of cancer and if it has spread to other areas of your body.