Key Indicators Of Skin Cancer

Abnormal Itchy Growths

Some itchy bumps on the skin originate from irritants, insect bites, injury, or allergens. However, growths on the skin that itch and have no obvious cause can be indicative of skin cancer. The types of skin cancer that usually exhibit itching are the non-melanoma types of basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. These skin cancer spots may not only feel itchy themselves, but they may also cause the skin surrounding them to itch. Melanomas tend to penetrate into deeper skin layers and cutaneous tissues quickly and may not have as much of an opportunity to produce irritation before they cause nerve damage. However, basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas take longer to penetrate past the skin layers. The slow increase in the number of cancerous cells occupying that specific spot can irritate and damage the very fine branches of nerve fibers that provide feeling to the skin, causing the area to become itchy. Some cancer spots become ulcerated due to the affected individual constantly scratching and irritating them.