Skin cancer symptoms

Skin cancer Symptoms & Sign of Skin cancer

The skin features that frequently occur in basal or squamous cell carcinoma are listed below. If you are concerned about a symptom or a feature on this list, please talk with your doctor.

Changes in the skin are the main warning sign for skin cancer. Each type of skin cancer can appear differently, and an accurate diagnosis by a doctor or other health-care professional is essential.

For basal cell cancer, two or more of the following features may be present:

• An open sore that bleeds, oozes, or crusts, and remains open for several weeks


• A reddish, raised patch or irritated area that may crust or itch, but rarely hurts


• A shiny pink, red, pearly white or translucent bump


• A pink growth with an elevated border and crusted central indentation


• A scar-like, white, yellow, or waxy area, often with a poorly defined border

Squamous cell cancer can often crust and bleed and appears as:

• A wart-like growth


• A persistent, scaly red patch with irregular borders that may bleed easily


• An open sore that persists for weeks


• An elevated growth with a rough surface and a central depression

Early detection: Finding skin cancer early

Regular self-examinations may help find skin cancer early. Examinations should be performed in front of a full-length mirror in a brightly lit room. It helps to have another person check the scalp and back of the neck. Non-melanoma skin cancer most often begins on skin that has frequently been exposed to the sun.

A doctor should be consulted for:

• Growths on the skin that match any symptoms on either of the above lists


• New growth on the skin


• Suspicious changes in an existing mole or spot


• A sore that doesn't heal within two weeks