Five Signs of Skin Cancer
Skin Cancer Signs To Watch For

Knowing these skin cancer signs can help you catch early warning signals and get onto treatment early if you ever develop the disease. Early detection is one of the key factors for successful treatment of cancer.

Note that all these signs are related to properties of bumps or moles on your skin, so it goes without saying that the development of new moles or unusual skin growths is one of the first signs of skin cancer.

If you have an unusual growth, a new mole, or an old mole has begun to change, check it against this list.

• Asymmetrical. This is one of the first signs of skin cancer: the mole or blemish is not symmetrical, or in other words it isn’t an even shape.

  If you imagined a line down the middle of the mole, would it be the same on both sides of the line? If not, the mole is asymmetrical and is worth checking out with a doctor, especially if it displays any of these other signs.

• Color. Unusual colors are a big thing to watch out for. This can simply mean the mole is not the same color all over. Most healthy moles are the same shade of brown across their whole surface.

  Cancerous growths can have different shades of brown mixed in, shades of black, or even very unusual colors like red and blue. If you notice red and blue on a growth, this is reason for an immediate check up.

• Size. Large moles can be a sign of cancer, especially if the mole is growing. What defines a large mole?

  If the growth is more than about a quarter of an inch across, it’s considered large. Anything bigger than the fingernail on your pinky should be a cause for concern.

• Shape and Border. The edges of a cancerous growth on the skin are also different from those of a healthy mole. A cancerous mole will have an unusual, irregular border shape and may also have rough or raised edges. Healthy moles tend to be smooth and regular in shape by comparison.

• Changes. One of the biggest skin cancer signs that you should be concerned about a mole or skin spot is if it keeps changing. Moles don’t typically change shape, color or size unless something is wrong under the skin.

  You should keep an eye out for changes in color, even if it’s only a change from one shade of brown to another. Changes in size and border pattern also need to be watched.

These are the main first signs of skin cancer you should keep an eye out for. If you have moles on your back, have a friend or love one check them out and compare them to this list.

Even if the mole only displays one of these five signs of skin cancer, it’s best to be on the safe side and have it checked by a doctor – it may be a cancerous growth in the early stages of development.

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