Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma

Basal cell carcinoma tends to cause local tissue damage, squamous cell carcinoma can grow deeper and spread, and melanoma has a particular capacity to spread beyond the skin. Their appearance may overlap, so the name cannot be assigned reliably by sight alone.

Basal cell carcinoma develops from basal cells, while cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma develops from keratin-producing squamous cells. Melanoma develops from melanocytes, the cells that make skin pigment. Sun-exposed areas are common sites, but skin cancer can also develop in less exposed places.

A basal cell carcinoma can resemble a shiny bump or persistent sore. Squamous cell carcinoma can present as a scaly, crusted, tender, or firm growth. Melanoma may be a new mark or a changing mole, and it is not always dark. These are possible presentations, not a home diagnostic test.

Have a clinician examine a lesion that is enlarging, changing, bleeding, tender, or not healing. Mention previous skin cancers, immune-suppressing medicines, major sun exposure, and changes you have observed. The clinician may inspect the rest of the skin and nearby lymph nodes before deciding how to sample or remove the lesion.

Laboratory examination identifies the cancer type and supplies details that guide care. Surgical excision is used for many skin cancers. Mohs surgery may be chosen when preserving healthy tissue or checking the edges during surgery is especially useful. The plan also depends on the site, size, depth, and whether nearby structures are involved.

Request timely medical review for a lesion that grows rapidly, changes colour or outline, becomes persistently painful, repeatedly bleeds or crusts, or remains open instead of healing. A spot that looks distinctly different from your other marks also deserves examination.

Seek urgent care for bleeding that remains heavy despite steady direct pressure, or for signs of a significant wound infection such as spreading redness with fever or feeling acutely unwell. Avoid picking the area or applying acids and unprescribed freezing products while waiting for assessment.

You can ask which biopsy approach is suitable, what type of skin cancer the laboratory found, and whether the edges of the removed tissue are clear. Other useful questions cover the goal of surgery, whether additional treatment or examination is needed, wound care, expected scarring, and the schedule for checking the treated area and the rest of your skin.