Types of skin cancer and how to spot them - Jersey's Best

If you learn only one thing about skin cancer, it should be this word: melanoma. 

Melanoma is the equivalent of a budding terrorist hanging out with a bunch of high school pranksters. None of them is up to any good — but one of them is really, really dangerous. 

If you suspect you may have melanoma, don't assume it will be like that growth your cousin had on his cheek from golfing so much. Just because he delayed seeing a doctor until he returned from summer vacation doesn't mean you have that luxury of time as well. You probably don't. 

Melanoma is a five-alarm problem that demands immediate attention. Not a head-to-the-emergency-room crisis, but one necessitating an appointment with a doctor sooner rather than later. When detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%. 

The paradox of skin cancer is that the types causing the most cases result in the fewest number of deaths. Yet melanoma, which is far less common, accounts for the biggest number of deaths. 

With that in mind, here's what to look for:  

Basal cell carcinoma. Photo courtesy of The Skin Cancer Foundation

Basal Cell Carcinoma 

With an estimated 3.6 million cases a year, it accounts for 80% of nonmelanoma cancers. Its warning signs:    

• An open sore that does not heal, and may bleed, ooze or crust. 
• A reddish patch or irritated area on the face, chest, shoulder, arm or leg that may crust, itch, hurt or cause no discomfort. 
• A shiny bump or nodule that is pearly or clear, pink, red or white. The bump can also be tan, black or brown, especially in dark-skinned people, and can be mistaken for a normal mole. 
• A small, pink growth with a slightly raised, rolled edge and a crusted indentation in the center that may develop tiny surface blood vessels over time. 
• A scar-like area that is flat white, yellow or waxy in color.  

Squamous cell carcinoma. Photo courtesy of The Skin Cancer Foundation

Squamous Cell Carcinoma 

Accounting for an estimated 1.6 million cases a year, its warning signs are similar to basal cell growths, but may also appear to be a wart. 

Melanomas 

These can appear as a dark growth with irregular borders, or as an existing mole that is changing color or growing. Doctors also talk about the "ugly duckling sign," which is any spot on your skin that looks different from the other spots.   

Acral lentiginous melanoma. Photo courtesy of WebMD

Acral Lentiginous Melanoma 

These show up as a dark, brown to black, unevenly pigmented patch. They are typically located on the palms or soles of feet, including the back of the heel. Foot melanomas are especially dangerous because sweat ducts can serve as an efficient pathway for the cancer to spread. 

Subungual melanoma. Photo courtesy of WebMD

Subungual Melanoma  

Another form this cancer can take, this one originating under the nail bed. It can appear to be a bruise under the nail, or a dark streak running the length of the nail. It most often affects the thumb, index finger or big toe. 

Also, be aware that skin cancer can affect tissue where the sun doesn't shine, so to speak. It can affect the genitals of both men and women, along with the anal region. "Sometimes it can be irritation from chemicals or family history that can cause skin cancers to rise in those areas. We just do not, quite frankly, know," said Dr. Jeanine Downie of image Dermatology in Montclair. "Obviously, it is not a sun issue." 

Another unexpected location for skin cancer is inside the mouth. "Any sort of sore that doesn't heal in the mouth? Get it checked out," said Dr. Robin Ashinoff of Hackensack University Medical Center. 

No matter where the location of a growth, Ashinoff offered this general guideline: "Young children can get new moles, but adults shouldn't be getting new moles or beauty marks. Something new on the skin in an adult should be evaluated." 

Kathleen O'Brien was a longtime columnist and health writer for The Star-Ledger. She continues to report on all facets of the health care industry for Jersey's Best.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of Jersey's Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.