Facts
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. When it’s detected and treated early, the cure rate is high.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers comprehensive treatment from a team of experts who specialize in all types of skin cancers.
Types
The most common types of skin cancer in the United States are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
- When detected and treated early, nonmelanoma skin cancers have a cure rate of more than 95 percent. But having one of these cancers increases your risk for developing other skin cancers.
- Melanoma skin cancer is much less common but much more serious than basal or squamous cell carcinoma. It causes the vast majority of skin cancer deaths in the U.S.
Signs and symptoms
The best way to detect skin cancer before it spreads and becomes difficult to cure is to carefully and regularly examine your own skin and to have routine exams by your health care provider.
Looking for signs of skin cancer can be a challenge because most of us have some brownish spots on our skin — birthmarks, moles, freckles — which are usually normal. But some may be skin cancers.
Other possible signs of skin cancer — such as a small sore that bleeds, scabs and heals or a reddish patch that crusts over and itches — can be a benign (noncancerous) condition or something more serious.
- Become familiar with specific signs and symptoms of different types of skin cancer as well as actinic keratosis (pre-cancer). We’ve included photos to help you know what to look for.
- Learn more about how to check yourself for early warning signs of skin cancer, including the “ABCDE” guide to make early detection easier.
Basal cell carcinoma signs and symptoms
This type of cancer is usually found on sun-exposed areas of the skin like the scalp, forehead, face, nose, neck and back.
Basal cell carcinomas may bleed after a minor injury but then scab and heal. This can happen over and over for months or years with no visible growth, making it easy to mistake them for wounds or sores. They rarely cause pain in their earliest stages.
Appearance
In addition to the bleeding and healing, these are other possible signs of a basal cell cancer:
- A persistent open sore that does not heal and bleeds, crusts or oozes.
- A reddish patch or irritated area that may crust or itch.
- A shiny bump or nodule that is pearly or translucent and often pink, red or white. It can also be tan, black or brown, especially in dark-haired people, and easy to confuse with a mole.
- A pink growth with a slightly elevated, rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center. Tiny blood vessels may appear on the surface as the growth enlarges.
- A scar-like lesion in an area that you have not injured. It may be white, yellow or waxy, often with poorly defined borders. The skin seems shiny and tight; sometimes this can be a sign of an aggressive tumor.
Squamous cell carcinoma signs and symptoms
Generally found on the ears, face and mouth, squamous cell carcinoma can be more aggressive than basal cell. Untreated, it may push through the skin layers to the lymphatic system, bloodstream and nerve routes, where it can cause pain and symptoms of serious illness.
Appearance
Squamous cell cancer often starts as a precancerous lesion known as actinic keratosis (described below). When it becomes cancerous, the lesion appears raised above the normal skin surface and is firmer to the touch. Sometimes the spot shows only a slight change from normal skin.
Other signs include:
- Any change, such as crusting or bleeding, in an existing wart, mole, scar or other skin lesion
- A wart-like growth that crusts and sometimes bleeds
- A scaly, persistent reddish patch with irregular borders, which may crust or bleed
- A persistent open sore that does not heal and bleeds, crusts or oozes
- A raised growth with a depression in the center that occasionally bleeds and may rapidly increase in size
Actinic keratosis signs and symptoms
Many people have actinic keratosis (AK), also called solar keratosis, on their skin. It shows that you’ve had enough sun to develop skin cancer, and it is considered a precursor of cancer, or a precancerous condition.
Usually AK shows up on the parts of your body that have received the most lifetime sun exposure, like the face, ears, scalp, neck, backs of the hands, forearms, shoulders and lips.
Some of the same treatments used for nonmelanoma skin cancers are used for AK to ensure it does not develop into a cancerous lesion.
Appearance
This abnormality develops slowly. The lesions are usually small, about an eighth of an inch to a quarter of an inch in size. You may see a few at a time. They can disappear and later return.
- AK is a scaly or crusty bump on the skin’s surface and is usually dry and rough. It can be flat. An actinic keratosis is often noticed more by touch than sight.
- It may be the same color as your skin, or it may be light, dark, tan, pink, red or a combination of colors.
- It can itch or produce a prickling or tender sensation.
- These skin abnormalities can become inflamed and be encircled with redness. Rarely, they bleed.
Melanoma signs and symptoms
Melanoma skin cancer is much more serious than basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It can spread quickly to other organs and causes the vast majority of skin cancer deaths in the United States. Usually melanomas develop in or around an existing mole.
Appearance
Signs and symptoms of melanoma vary depending on the exact type and may include:
- A flat or slightly raised, discolored patch with irregular borders and possible areas of tan, brown, black, red, blue or white (superficial spreading melanoma)
- A firm bump, often black but occasionally blue, gray, white, brown, tan, red or your usual skin tone (nodular melanoma)
- A flat or slightly raised mottled tan, brown or dark brown discoloration (lentigo maligna)
- A black or brown discoloration, usually under the nails, on the palms or on the soles of the feet (acral lentiginous melanoma)
See more pictures and get details about different types of melanoma in our dedicated melanoma section.
Merkel cell carcinoma signs and symptoms
Read about signs and symptoms of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer, in our dedicated Merkel cell section.
Self-exams to detect skin cancer
You may notice changes to your skin casually during your daily routine, such as when you put on lotion, look in the mirror or take a shower. Doing a thorough monthly exam is also important.
Learn how to examine your skin and the general warning signs to look for:
Diagnosing skin cancer
Examine your skin regularly to watch for changes and for new suspicious growths.
Call your doctor if:
- You notice a change in the color, size, texture or appearance of a mole or skin lesion.
- You have bleeding, itching, inflammation or pain in a lesion.
- You have another sign or symptom that could result from skin cancer.
If you have an abnormal-looking growth on your skin that might be cancer, your doctor will:
- Review and ask about your medical history and family history.
- Ask about your sun exposure, lifestyle, medications and other risk factors.
- Ask about your symptoms, when the skin lesion first appeared and if the lesion has changed in size or appearance.
- Perform a thorough physical exam and check the skin lesion, any other suspicious moles or marks and your lymph nodes.
Stages
The stage of your cancer helps your doctors determine the best treatment options for you. The process of staging tells us whether or not your cancer has spread and, if it has, how far. When skin cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, it is more likely to be cured.
Skin cancers are assigned a stage from 0 to IV, with 0 being the least advanced (in situ, found only in the outermost layer of skin) and IV being the most advanced.