There are few things we love more than the feel of the hot sun warming our faces, except remembering to slather on sunscreen before heading out into that cloudless day. But even if you’re doing your best to keep your skin healthy, from eating foods for better skin health to following the best skincare tips for every age, knowing the number-one sign of skin cancer can ensure that you book an appointment with a dermatologist early enough to avoid potentially serious outcomes.
Meet the experts: Adam Friedman,M.D., a professor of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences; Michael Christopher, M.D., a dermatologist with Ironwood Dermatology & Aesthetics in Tucson.
There are three types of skin cancer that are diagnosed most often: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. “Non-melanoma skin cancers, like basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas, are what we call skin-derived cancers, not mole-derived,” Adam Friedman,M.D., a professor of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, previously explained. That means that they appear not as moles, but as other unusual skin changes such as sores, bumps, or irritated patches. “Basal and squamous cell carcinomas are highly treatable if detected early,” says Michael Christopher, M.D., a dermatologist with Ironwood Dermatology & Aesthetics in Tucson. “Although melanoma is less common, it is the most significant of the three, because it has an increased ability to spread and potentially lead to death.”
Even though they present differently, Dr. Christopher says that the top sign that should prompt a call to your doctor is the same for every type of skin cancer. “The number-one sign is change. Change in a spot that has been present on your skin, such as a mole that is growing, bleeding, itching, tender, painful, or not healing is important and something as a dermatologist, I would want to know about,” Dr. Christopher says. “Change also means paying attention to your skin for new spots. If you develop new spots on your skin, this should prompt evaluation by your doctor or dermatologist.”
Taking action as soon as you notice a change is critical to early detection. “It may be nothing, or it could be a skin cancer such as melanoma, and the earlier it is found the better the prognosis,” Dr. Christopher adds. Per the American Cancer Society, melanoma that is diagnosed before it spreads beyond the skin has a survival rate of over 99%, so don’t hesitate to make an appointment if you are experiencing something new. “That is the ballgame,” says Dr. Christopher. “Identifying cancer in its infancy, before it has a chance to change the direction of your life.”
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