Key Indicators Of Skin Cancer

Red Or Purple Patches

Individuals affected by skin cancer may develop red or purple patches on their skin. Patches of skin with these characteristics can be squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma. Like basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas typically develop as a new patch or lesion on the skin. However, melanomas usually grow from preexisting benign skin abnormalities on an individual's skin, such as a mole or scar. Squamous cell carcinomas can take on a rash-like appearance, or they may appear as a single irregular patch. These skin patches often have a rough surface or feel scaly to the touch. The color of both melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma may be inconsistent throughout, containing lighter areas of pink and white with darker purple or red spots. These patches on the skin continue to slowly and progressively worsen, unlike a typical skin rash that dissipates with time. Both melanoma and squamous cell carcinomas are known to develop on regions of the skin frequently exposed to sunlight, including the neck, arms, head, and hands. However, these skin cancers may develop anywhere on the body.

Spots With Irregular Borders

Spots on the skin can be a normal occurrence in healthy individuals, but spots with irregular borders can be a sign an individual is being affected by skin cancer. A preexisting mole, scar, or skin lesion may begin to change over time as it becomes malignant and grows into the deeper skin layers. Most skin cancer lesions that grow from spots already present on an individual's skin are melanoma. When malignancy affects the skin, the patches or spots of the growing cancer cells tend to exhibit abnormal borders that are blurred, undefined, ragged, notched, or asymmetric. These cancerous spots on the skin can feature a region that ulcerates, bleeds, or oozes fluid. Ulcerated skin cancer spots may appear to heal over time, but they also always appear to return. These spots have often been described as a colored, raised wart with irregular edges with no symmetry. Melanoma spots and squamous cell carcinomas tend to be larger than harmless moles or spots on the skin, which are typically smaller than the size of a pencil eraser. One of the biggest indicators of skin cancer is when a spot on the skin starts changing in shape, color, and elevation over time.