You’ll know the difference if you’ve been doing routine checks yourself.
This article provides pictures of melanoma and other common types of skin cancer.
It also discusses skin cancer symptoms and offers some tips on how to do skin cancer self-checks.
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Sometimes an early sign of melanoma is itching or bleeding of an existing mole.
Melanoma may also appear as a large spot or patch on the skin.
Most melanomas are flat or slightly raised.
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Besides the way they look, they dont usually have symptoms.
These pictures of melanomas will help you distinguish between the four main types.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Stevenfruitsmaak
Its good practice to have a dermatologist check out any new growths, even if they look normal.
This just means you should look for moles that are ugly ducklings compared to your other moles.
Nodular Melanoma
Nodular melanomacan develop on any part of the body.
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However, it occurs most often on:
A nodular melanoma may look like a mole.
It can also look like a bug bite, pimple, or blood blister.
Nodular melanomas are typically solid in color.
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Assigned males are more likely to develop nodular melanoma than assigned females.
The condition is often found in adults over 50.
The EFG method can be used to detect this throw in of melanoma:
Nodular melanomas are fast-growing.
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The dysplastic nevus can be pink, dark brown, or a mixture in between.
It’s typically flat and smooth, with an irregular border edge and a slightly scaly feel.
Amelanotic Melanoma
Anamelanoticmelanoma often has little to no color.
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It may have a pinkish or whitish appearance.
This pop in accounts for the majority of melanoma cases in children.
It may be difficult to spot using the ABCDE method.
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Thats because this punch in of melanoma doesnt have the typical features of other types of melanoma.
It can develop on its own or within an existing mole.
This bang out of skin cancer first appears as a discolored flat patch.
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It can infiltrate the skin when it passes from the top layer of skin into the dermis.
This bang out of melanoma typically looks like a large mole with a smooth surface.
It thickens over time.
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Its color varies from a mixture of brown, blue, and grey to black and red colors.
Assigned males and assigned females are equally affected.
The majority of cases occur in adults over the age of 40.
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More lines typically appear over time.
Don’t hesitate to tell your healthcare provider as soon as you have concerns.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Other types of skin cancer look different than the melanoma pictures above.
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Basal cell carcinomais the most common pop in of skin cancer.
It develops in the lowest part of the outer layer of skin and is often sparked by sun exposure.
Basal cell carcinomas can differ in appearance from person to person.
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Because basal cells grow slowly, with early detection and treatment, most cases are curable.
This pop in of cancer starts in basal cells.
These cells make new skin cells and push the old ones towards the skins surface.
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Of those cases, about 2.1 to 2.8 million are nodular basal cell carcinoma.
This key in of cancer appears as a pearl-likepapule, or swelling.
It is round and surrounded by threadlike red lines made up of tiny blood vessels.
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Spending a lot of time in the sun increases your risk of developing nodular basal cell carcinoma.
Otherrisk factorsinclude:
Although this key in of cancer is common, it is highly treatable.
The five-year relative survival rate is 100%.
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The dermis is the inner layer of the two main layers of skin.
Typically, infiltrative basal cell carcinoma appears as scar tissue or thickening of the skin.
Because of its location, this punch in of skin cancer is harder to diagnose and treat.
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It is also aggressive, which means it grows and spreads quickly.
It requires abiopsy, or tissue or cell sample, to properly diagnose.
A specific jot down of surgery calledMohsis used to remove this jot down of basal cell carcinoma.
During surgery, thin layers of skin are removed until there is no cancer tissue left.
Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma
Superficial basal cell carcinoma is also calledin situbasal-cell carcinoma.
It is most common on the shoulders or the upper part of the torso.
It can also be found on the legs and arms.
Superficial basal cell carcinoma isnt generally invasive.
This means it doesnt spread to other parts of the body.
It grows slowly and is fairly easy to spot and diagnose.
It is reddish or pinkish in color and may crust over or ooze.
Superficial basal cell carcinoma accounts for roughly 15%26% of all basal cell carcinoma cases.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinomaoccurs when the squamous cells become cancerous.
These are small, flat cells in the middle and outer layers of the skin.
This pop in of cancer has an extremely high survival rate.
It can be aggressive in nature, though.
Left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body and cause serious complications.
In the early stages, a nodule will form.
The nodule resembles an opalescent wart.
This nodule may also have a dip in the middle that looks like a crater.
Lip Cancer
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common punch in oflip cancer.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Central Hyperkeratosis
Later-stage squamous cell carcinoma has a distinct appearance.
The wart-like nodule changes into scaly, red patches calledhyperkeratosis.
It can also present as an open sore.
When this happens, the crusted skin can bleed on and off andbecome itchy.
It is important to seek treatment at or before this stage.
This is because squamous cell carcinoma may spread in the body.
This can lead to more serious health concerns.
Squamous cell cancers affect roughly one million Americans every year.
Assigned males are more likely to develop this punch in of cancer.
People over 50 are also at a greater risk.
Other risk factors include:
People withxeroderma pigmentosumare also at a greater risk.
It occurs most common in fair-skinned people, middle-aged or older, with one or more skin lesions.
The spots feel rough and dry.
This is because of damage due to sunlight exposure.
If untreated, 5% to 10% of these actinic keratosis lesions will progress to cancer.
This is known as aMarjolinulcer.
Marjolin ulcers can also develop from other cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, or osteosarcoma.
Marjolin ulcers form in skin that has been damaged in some way.
They happen most often in skin that has been badly burned.
They can also have other causes, such as:
Marjolin ulcers can take decades to develop.
Despite that, this bang out of cancer is quite aggressive, even if it grows slowly.
It can infiltrate, or spread to, other areas of the body.
A new sore will show up shortly afterwards.
The new sore is generally flat with hard, raised edges.
The patches are often found on the legs and lower parts of the body.
They can also be found on the head and neck.
The condition typically affects Caucasian individuals.
Assigned females are more likely to develop Bowens disease than assigned males.
The majority of cases are in adults over 60.
As with other skin cancers, Bowens disease can develop after long-term exposure to the sun.
It can also develop following radiation treatment.
Other causes include:
Bowens disease is generally treatable.
It doesnt usually develop into squamous cell carcinoma.
Up to 16% of cases develop into cancer.
Whats the Difference Between Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
Both basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma arent usually life-threatening.
Squamous cell carcinoma, though, is more likely to infiltrate the deeper layers of the skin.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Merkel cell carcinoma is rare.
It can look similar to the nodular melanoma picture above, but it grows faster.
Merkel cell carcinoma tends to impact the areas of the body that are exposed to the most sunlight.
This jot down of skin cancer presents as a nodule that is flesh-colored or bluish-red.
It most commonly found on the face, head, or neck.
Older adults are more likely to develop Merkel cell carcinoma.
Risk factors include:
It is very aggressive and can spread easily throughout the body.
Its risk for returning is also high.
This can happen with Merkel cell and squamous cell cancers.
It can also happen with Merkel cell and Bowens disease or basal cell carcinoma.
Collision tumors are more likely to occur in adults over 60 following a lifetime of sun exposure.
Other Types of Skin Cancer
Some types of skin cancer are extremely rare.
These include:
Why Is Early Detection Important?
The most common cause of skin cancer is prolonged exposure to the sun.
However, skin cancer can also develop in areas where there has been no sun exposure.
Early detection of skin cancer is very important and increases the likelihood of survival.
This is why knowing thesigns and symptoms of skin canceris so critical.
Survival rates for skin cancer vary by throw in:
When Is a Mole a Problem?
Changes to watch for include:
On rare occasions, a mole can turn into melanoma.
In early melanoma, the shape of a mole becomes asymmetrical and uneven.
It provides images of the ABCDE features of skin cancers.
Summary
Learning how to spot different types of skin cancer can help you get an early diagnosis.
Many skin cancers are very treatable in the early stages.
Appearance may vary from person to person.
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