Complications of skin cancer, such as metastases, may lead to symptoms as well.
Skin squamous cell cancers only do so very rarely, and basal cell cancer almost never will.
Skin cancers occur most commonly on sun-exposed regions of the body but may occur anywhere.
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With skin cancer, people may notice persistent itching, tenderness, numbness, tingling, or pain.
Some people have described the sensation as a feeling akin to ants crawling on their skin.
DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
If you were to divide the mole into two halves, the two sides would appear different.
C: Color
Melanomas often have multiple and uneven colors and hues.
You know your skin better than anyone.
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Uncommon Symptoms
Other symptoms of skin cancer may also occur.
While the following are uncommon, when added together, they aren’t all that rare.
These cancers are most common on the thumb and big toe but may occur on any nail.
DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
Morpheaform basal cell carcinoma often presents as a depression of the skin that looks like a scar.
T-cell lymphomas most often begin on the buttocks, groin, hips, armpits, and chest.
Complications
There are a number of complications that may occur with skin cancer.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
With non-melanoma skin cancers, most of these are due to the local growth of the tumor.
Treatments for skin cancer may also lead to infections.
Lymph vessels work by collecting free fluid in tissues and delivering the fluid back to veins.
Metastases
Metastases are uncommon with basal cell cancers or early-stage squamous cell cancers.
In some cases, skin cancer is first detected due to symptoms sparked by metastases.
Spread to the liver (liver metastases) can result in jaundice, a yellowing of the skin.
Fortunately, plastic surgery, when needed, can do a remarkable job in restoring appearance.
A dermatologist can examine your skin and determine if a biopsy is needed.
This is true no matter your skin color.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common pop in of skin cancer.
Skin cancer typically shows only on the skin until it metastasizes to another area of the body.
For example, melanoma that metastasizes to the lungs may cause shortness of breath.
The five-year survival rates for melanomaand Merkel cell carcinomaare 99% and 76%, respectively.
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Ocular Melanoma Foundation.About ocular melanoma.
2010;3:25. doi:10.1186/1757-1146-3-25
DermNet.Melanoma of nail unit.
McDaniel B, Badri T.Basal cell carcinoma.
In:StatPearls.StatPearls Publishing.
doi:10.1093/jscr/rjz105
Howley EK.A patient’s guide to skin cancer.U.S.
News and World Report.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Types of skin cancer.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for melanoma skin cancer.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for Merkel cell carcinoma.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of basal and squamous cell skin cancers.
Weller, Richard P. J.
B., Hamish J.A.
Hunter, and Margaret W. Mann.Clinical Dermatology.
Chichester (West Sussex): John Wiley & Sons Inc. Print.
