Know the Characteristics of the Next Skin Cancer To Be Treated Early

Medical Video: The 4 Stages of Melanoma: The Deadliest Form of Skin Cancer - Mayo Clinic

Often, skin cancer occurs in the skin that is often exposed to sunlight. However, skin cancer can also occur on skin that is not exposed to sunlight. Skin cancer causes abnormal cell growth. Lumps and lesions on the skin can appear when you have skin cancer. But sometimes, skin cancer bumps with ordinary moles are still difficult to distinguish as a feature of skin cancer.

What are the characteristics of skin cancer?

There are three types of skin cancer, namely basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. These three types of skin cancer have different characteristics. What are the characteristics of skin cancer by type?

1. Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma usually appears in the form of small, smooth pearl-like bumps on your skin, as well as wounds such as brown scar tissue. Over time, this wound or lump can also bleed or runny and then crust in some areas. Usually the characteristics of basal cell carcinoma occur in areas that are often exposed to sunlight, such as the scalp, neck, and face. Skin wounds can also appear on the chest and back.

2. Squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma usually occurs in the form of red bumps and usually rough, and wounds on the skin such as scales and crusting. This characteristic usually appears in areas that are often exposed to sunlight, such as the scalp, neck, face, ears, and hands. However, people who have dark skin usually have squamous cell carcinoma in areas that are rarely exposed to sunlight, such as palms and soles.

3. Melanoma

This is a type of skin cancer that is difficult to treat. Melanoma can occur in everyone with any skin color. In people who have dark skin, melanoma usually occurs in areas of the skin that are rarely exposed to sunlight, such as palms, soles of feet, under fingernails, or toenails.

Not only that, melanoma can also develop anywhere, on the skin that is often or rarely exposed to sunlight, on normal skin, or in moles that live and develop into cancer. Melanoma most often appears on the face. In women, melanoma often occurs at the bottom of the foot.

The characteristics of melanoma skin cancer are:

Large brown spots on the skin
Lumps on the skin such as moles that can change color, size (usually large), and can bleed
Small wounds with irregular borders
Dark-colored wounds on the palms, soles of the feet, fingertips, toes, or mucous membranes lining the mouth, nose, vagina, or anus

Sometimes, melanoma is difficult to distinguish from ordinary moles. But, there is an easy way to distinguish it, namely with ABCDE:

A for asymmetry (asymmetrical), a melanoma lump has an irregular or unsymmetrical shape. If divided in two, both sides of the mole are not evenly divided.
B for border (border / edge), melanoma has irregular and uneven edges, different from ordinary moles.
C for Colour (color), melanoma has a variety of colors, one lump can have brown, black, blue, and red. While ordinary moles must have the same color.
D for diameter (size), melanoma usually has a larger size than an ordinary mole, greater than 6 mm.
E for evolving (developing), a lump of melanoma can change in size (become smaller or bigger), change shape, and change color, it can even cause itching or blood out.