What are the signs of skin cancer?

Introduction

Skin cancer is a prevalent form of cancer with various types, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and malignant melanoma (MM). Recognizing the signs and symptoms of skin cancer is crucial for early detection and treatment.

Key Insights

Common Signs of Skin Cancer:
- Nonhealing Ulcers and Persistent Indurated Erythema: These are significant indicators of skin involvement in internal cancers and should prompt a biopsy.
- Unexplained Skin Nodules: These can be an early sign of internal malignancies, including skin cancer.
- New or Unusual Skin Lesions: These may indicate primary skin cancer or cutaneous metastasis from other cancers.
Specific Symptoms by Cancer Type:
- Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC):
  - Bleeding: Frequently reported in BCC cases.
  - Ulceration and Notched Borders: These are considered bad signs and indicative of malignancy.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC):
  - Tenderness: More commonly reported in SCC compared to other skin cancers.
- Malignant Melanoma (MM):
  - Asymptomatic Nature: MM is often reported without symptoms, making it harder to detect early.
  - Variation in Color and Notched Borders: These are bad signs and indicative of malignancy.
Advanced Skin Cancer Symptoms:
- Pain and Anorexia: Most common symptoms in patients with advanced skin cancer.
- Bleeding or Exudate from Lesions: Characteristic symptoms in advanced stages.
- Dyspnea, Anemia, and Drowsiness: These symptoms tend to increase as death approaches.
Skin Manifestations in Internal Cancers:
- Digital Clubbing and Telangiectasia: Observed in lung cancer patients, indicating a possible link to internal malignancies.
- Acanthosis Nigricans and Cyanosis: Non-specific signs that should prompt consideration of internal cancers, including lung cancer.

Conclusion

Recognizing the signs of skin cancer involves identifying nonhealing ulcers, persistent erythema, unexplained nodules, and new or unusual skin lesions. Specific symptoms vary by cancer type, with BCC often presenting with bleeding, SCC with tenderness, and MM frequently being asymptomatic. Advanced skin cancer is characterized by pain, anorexia, and bleeding or exudate from lesions. Additionally, certain skin manifestations can indicate internal cancers, underscoring the importance of thorough skin examinations.

What are the signs of skin cancer?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Skin involvement as the presenting sign of internal carcinoma. A retrospective study of 7316 cancer patients.

Internal cancer rarely presents with skin involvement, but an index of suspicion should be maintained for nonhealing ulcers, persistent indurated erythema, and unexplained skin nodules.

Dermatologic manifestations of internal cancer

Skin involvement in internal cancer patients may be related to the tumor itself or to the metabolic effects of tumor cells at visceral sites.

Pigmented tumors of the skin

Good signs for pigmented skin tumors are round or oval shapes, no ulceration, and all one color, with hair; bad signs are notched borders, ulceration, or color variation.

Symptom prevalence in patients with advanced skin cancer

Pain and anorexia are the most common symptoms in patients with advanced skin cancer, with dyspnea, anemia, and drowsiness becoming more frequent as death approaches.

Evaluation of prospectively collected presenting signs/symptoms of biopsy-proven melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and seborrheic keratosis in an elderly male population.

Malignant melanoma may be asymptomatic more often than previously recognized, with common signs/symptoms including "no symptoms" and tenderness.

Skin clues to primary and metastatic malignancy.

New or unusual skin lesions may be the first sign of internal malignancy, a primary skin cancer, or a cutaneous metastasis of carcinoma in another site.

[The skin manifestations in patients with lung cancers].

Lung cancer patients may exhibit nonspecific skin manifestations, such as digital clubbing, telengiectasia, lip cyanosis, long eyelash, pruritus, hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, and Leser Trelat sign, which should be considered when evaluating their dermatolog

Recognising the signs of skin cancer.

The most common signs of skin cancer are red, swollen, and bleeding patches on the skin, which should be examined by a doctor.

The epidemiology of skin cancer

Skin cancer incidence has reached epidemic proportions, with melanoma being the most common cancer in white populations and basal cell carcinoma being the most common in females.

Skin Cancer Detection: A Review Using Deep Learning Techniques

Deep learning techniques, such as deep convolutional neural networks, show promise in early detection of skin cancer by analyzing lesion parameters like symmetry, color, size, shape, and color.

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