I want to symptoms of skin cancer

Question

Skin cancer includes three entities like basal cell carcinoma,. Squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Squamous and basal cell carcinoma develop in sun exposed areas of skin like scalp, face, lip ear, neck, chest, arm and leg.

Melanoma develops in areas of skin that are not exposed to skin like trunk, palm sole of feet etc. People with darker skin are more prone to develop squamous cell carcinoma and people with fair skin are prone to develop basal cell carcinoma.

The symptoms of cancer are-

1. A spot or sore that does not heal within 4 week.

2. A spot or sore that itches, hurts, is scabbed, crusty or bleeds for more than 4 week.

3. A painless ulcer that does not heal within 4 week and may bleed.

4. A scaly or crusted growth on the sun exposed areas of the skin like scalp, face, lip, ear, neck, chest, arm and leg.

5. A fast growing mole that itches, changes its color, size or feel and that bleeds.

Lalit Kumar Tripathy · Accepted Answer

Skin cancer includes three entities like basal cell carcinoma,. Squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Squamous and basal cell carcinoma develop in sun exposed areas of skin like scalp, face, lip ear, neck, chest, arm and leg.

Melanoma develops in areas of skin that are not exposed to skin like trunk, palm sole of feet etc. People with darker skin are more prone to develop squamous cell carcinoma and people with fair skin are prone to develop basal cell carcinoma.

The symptoms of cancer are-

1. A spot or sore that does not heal within 4 week.

2. A spot or sore that itches, hurts, is scabbed, crusty or bleeds for more than 4 week.

3. A painless ulcer that does not heal within 4 week and may bleed.

4. A scaly or crusted growth on the sun exposed areas of the skin like scalp, face, lip, ear, neck, chest, arm and leg.

5. A fast growing mole that itches, changes its color, size or feel and that bleeds.

Neetu Singhal · Answer

Skin cancers usually present as breech or ulceration of skin. They are mostly non-healing and sometimes burrowing types. There may be other symptoms like growth or lumpy feeling, mole that suddenly starts growing in size, lymph node enlargement etc.

Causes are mostly ultraviolet radiation exposure due to overexposure to sun. Radiation exposure, chemical burns, or immunocompromised state like hiv or certain genetic conditions like xeroderma pigmentosa etc. Can also lead to skin cancers.

Usually in country like ours where we have natural protection from skin cancers due to melanin pigment which is responsible for our skin colour, skin cancers are not very common. It is more common in fair skin people where the natural immunity is lacking. However, we do encounter skin cancer patients in our clinics routinely as there are other risk factors as well.

Treatment is done by surgery, if possible excision of tumor. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy may also be given if inoperable or if site is such that surgery may cause functional or cosmetic morbidity.