Skin Cancer
“How do I know if my mole is abnormal?”
Any time you notice a change in your moles or detect a new skin lesion, it’s important to contact your dermatologist for a thorough examination.
The words “skin cancer” are startling. They can cause you to skip getting moles or skin growths checked on a regular basis. It’s important that you carefully watch any moles for changes and have them looked at by your Utah skin cancer doctor at your earliest convenience. The sooner we can catch skin cancer, the easier they are to treat.
Most skin cancers are a result of too much sun. The most common types are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
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Actinic keratoses are pre-skin cancers that appear as a scaly, tender pink spot(s) on sun-exposed skin. If left untreated, actinic keratosis can develop into squamous cell carcinoma.
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Basal cell carcinomas are the most common form of skin cancer occurring in sun-exposed areas of the skin. It often appears as a pearly pink bump that has a tendency to bleed or not heal. In general, these tumors are slow growing and usually curable when caught and treated early.
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Squamous cell carcinomas are the second most type of skin cancer appearing on sun-exposed skin. These are often scaly, pink/red spots that have a tendency to bleed. Like basal cell carcinomas, these are often curable with early detection and treatment.
Melanoma
What Does Melanoma Look Like?
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that originated from pigment producing cells of the skin. Melanoma has the potential to metastasize (spread through your lymphatics or blood stream). Warning signs of melanoma include the ABCDEs.
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When the two sides of the mole do not resemble each other.
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When a mole has jagged edges around the border.
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Color between black, brown, tan, white or even blue are concerning.
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For moles that are rapidly changing in size or are larger than 6mm in diameter, visit a skin cancer doctor
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any mole that has changed significantly in size, shape, color or other attributes are reasons to visit a dermatologist.
Skin Checks
Sun Safety
