You might be aware that scanning your moles for any unusual changes can be the first step in detecting skin cancer, but a dermatologist has warned that the serious condition doesn’t always revolve around moles.
In fact, you should be also looking out for different signs of skin cancer that can appear “much more often”.
Dr Sam Ellis, dermatologist, took to her TikTok channel to share an example of skin cancer.
Being aware of what to look for could help you be “more informed” when you do your self-skin exams, the expert explained.
She said: “As a dermatologist, I find that when people are looking for skin cancer on their body, they are often looking for large brown moles. And that’s not always what skin cancer looks like.
“In fact, much more often than looking like a brown mole, it will look like a pink bump or a pink rash.”
In the video, the doctor showed a picture of skin cancer she diagnosed in the clinic which portrayed a skin with what appeared like a pink scrape with dry white bits.
She added: “This is a superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma – basal cell carcinomas are the most common type of skin cancer and they often look just like this.”
According to Cancer Research UK, around 75 out of every 100 non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas.
This type of skin cancer develops from basal cells, which are found in the deepest part of the outer layer of the skin. Basal cell carcinomas tend to occur mostly in areas of skin that are exposed to the sun, including parts of the face such as the nose, forehead and cheeks.
The good news is that it’s very rare for basal cell skin cancer to spread to another part of the body to form a secondary cancer.
The Mayo Clinic recommends looking out for the following symptoms:
- A change in the skin, such as a growth or a sore that won’t heal
- A shiny, skin-coloured bump that’s translucent (the bump can look pearly white or pink on white skin and brown and glossy black on brown and black skin)
- A brown, black or blue lesion or a lesion with dark spots with a slightly raised, translucent border
- A flat, scaly patch with a raised edge (over time, these patches can grow quite large)
- A white, waxy, scar-like lesion without a clearly defined border.
“Make an appointment with your health care provider if you observe changes in the appearance of your skin, such as a new growth, a change in a previous growth or a recurring sore,” the health portal adds.