What does initial skin cancer look like?

Skin cancer may initially appear as a nodule, rash or irregular patch on the surface of the skin. These spots may be raised and may ooze or bleed easily. As the cancer grows, the size or shape of the visible skin mass may change and the cancer may grow into deeper layers of the skin.

What does a melanoma look like when it first appears?

Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the shape, color, size, or feel of an existing mole. However, melanoma may also appear as a new mole. People should tell their doctor if they notice any changes on the skin.

What does skin cancer typically look like?

It usually appears as red, scaly, and rough skin sores, typically on sun-exposed areas such as your hands, head, neck, lips, or ears. It can also develop inside of scars or chronic open sores. Squamous cell carcinoma can also appear darker or pigmented, especially in people with darker skin.

Can skin cancer be a flat red spot?

These cancers can appear as: Flat, firm, pale or yellow areas, similar to a scar. Raised reddish patches that might be itchy. Small, pink or red, translucent, shiny, pearly bumps, which might have blue, brown, or black areas.

What do skin cancer bumps look like?

It typically looks like a firm, red bump that is often rough or scaly on the top. Over time, these lesions may enlarge to become scaly patches of skin that are easily damaged and may bleed frequently.

What color is skin cancer?

It appears as a painless, flesh-colored or bluish-red nodule growing on your skin. Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women.

Can skin cancer be a raised bump?

The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn’t heal. The cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. It also may appear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, the lump bleeds or develops a crust.

What do the early stages of skin cancer look like?

The first sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or discoloured patch on the skin that persists after a few weeks and slowly progresses over months or sometimes years. This is the cancer, or tumour.

What are the early stages of skin cancer?

Once a person’s T, N, and M categories have been determined, this information is combined in a process called stage grouping to assign an overall stage. The earliest stage of skin cancer is stage 0 (also called carcinoma in situ, or CIS). The other stages range from I (1) through IV (4).

What is the beginning of skin cancer?

Skin cancer begins in the cells that make up the outer layer (epidermis) of your skin. One type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma begins in the basal cells, which make skin cells that continuously push older cells toward the surface.