Skin cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in the United States. The good news is that nearly 100 percent of all skin cancers are curable if they are treated early. For this reason alone, it is important to be aware of skin cancer symptoms so that you can get treatment as soon as possible if you are diagnosed with a malignancy.

Frequently, skin neoplasms, or cancers, begin growing on the skin's surface. Skin growths that have been a part of a person's skin tissue from birth are usually not malignant. If the appearances of these moles, marks, or growths change, however, they may have become cancerous, and it is essential to have them examined as soon as possible by a physician.

Much of the time these cancers start out appearing like a sore or pimple. These sores may begin bleeding or draining fluid. Although they may scab over, they later begin to bleed or seep once more. Nonmelanoma cancers are usually less severe, and are found most often on areas of the body often exposed to the sun. In contrast, malignant melanomas, which are more deadly than the other forms of skin cancer, typically grown on the legs or torso (trunk).

Frequently, basal cell carcinomas are colored a pale grey. If you look closely, you may see miniscule blood vessels inside these skin tumors. In comparison, squamous cell carcinomas are often painful. These growths are reddish in appearance, and the surface skin is often scaly. These frequently drain or bleed, develop scabs, and begin draining once more.

Unlike these other cancers, which are slow-growing and appear very different from the tissue around them, malignant melanomas often develop unexpectedly from previously normal skin tissue. These neoplasms typically appear in a variety of colors, including white, red, brown, blue, or even black.

Except for the changes in skin tissue, people who develop skin cancers rarely show other symptoms unless the cancer has spread to other organs. Most of the time, persons with basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma are diagnosed before their malignancies have spread. This, however, may not always be the case with individuals who develop malignant melanomas. The symptoms these persons develop depend on the organ to which the cancer spreads.



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