What are the main signs and symptoms of skin cancer?

The main signs of skin cancer will be changes to the appearance of the skin, with some variation depending on the type of skin cancer present.^[1][2]

• Basal cell carcinoma: BCCs are typically skin-colored bumps that are often shiny and translucent. BCCs usually occur on the face (e.g., nose, ears, and lip) and neck as well as other areas with past exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., sunlight). Bleeding and scabbing is a common sign of BCC.

• Squamous cell carcinomas: SCCs are typically pink to red-colored bumps. The affected skin can be scaly and appear inflamed. As with BCCs, SCCs most commonly occur on the face, neck, and other areas with past exposure to ionizing radiation. SCCs are often preceded by red, scaly areas of skin known as actinic keratoses.

• Melanoma: Melanomas are usually brown to black-colored lesions, resembling a mole, though they can also be pink papules. These lesions are generally asymmetrical, with irregularly-shaped, poorly-defined borders. Melanomas also tend to grow over time, often becoming larger than 6 mm in diameter (roughly the size of a pencil eraser). On the skin of chronically sun-exposed areas (e.g., the face), a melanoma subtype known as lentigo maligna may resemble a large sun spot (i.e., a flat patch of darker skin, also known as a liver spot, an age spot, or solar lentigo).