Things You'll Need:
- As noted in text
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Step 1
Skin cancer symptoms vary, depending on the type of cancer. Prolonged and frequent sun exposure might increase the risks of certain kinds of skin cancers.
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Step 2
What to look for:
Symptoms of basal cell carcinoma:
-Shiny, pale, waxy lump on face, ears, neck.
-Flat, brown or flesh-colored spot on back or chest.
Basal-cell carcinomas are the most common form of skin cancer, and is easily treated. It is not apt to spread.
Symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma:
-Scaly, crusted, flat spot on face, neck, ears, hands, arms.
-Firm, red lump on face, lips, ears, neck, arms, hands.
Squamous-cell carcinoma is fairly easy to treat if detected early It is more prone to spreading than Basal cell carcinoma. -
Step 3
Symptoms of melanoma:
-Moles that change color, size or texture, or ones that bleed; anywhere on the body.
-Rounded, firm, shiny lumps; anywhere on the body.
-Dark lesions on the bottoms of the feet, palms of the hands, toes, fingers, mucous membranes in the mouth, nose, anus or vagina.
-Large, speckled, brown lesion anywhere on the body.
-Small, irregular-bordered spot with blue or black and blue, or white or red spots on trunk or limbs of the body.
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, and is responsible for most skin cancer deaths. -
Step 4
Other rarer forms of skin cancers are Karposi sarcoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and Sebaceous gland carcinoma.
As with all medical symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments, only trained and certified professionals can accurately assess individual situations.
Comments
Meri said
on 7/8/2008 Excellent article.