Before treatment for skin cancer can begin, you need the correct diagnosis. That way, we can care for you with confidence.
Patients come to us for second opinions and new options. Even if you come to us with a diagnosis, we will run our own tests to verify it is correct.
Siteman experts diagnose your cancer type before treating you. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. They are named for the types of cells they develop in.
What is basal cell carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It is also the most common type of all cancers in humans. About 8 out of 10 skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas.
They are usually found in skin that is exposed to sunlight. They rarely spread, but should be treated. Without expert care, they can cause problems.
What is squamous cell carcinoma?
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer. It appears on sun-exposed areas of the body like the face, ears, neck, top of the head, and back of the hands. Sometimes it develops into scars or chronic skin sores.
What is melanoma?
Melanoma is the least common skin cancer. Melanomas are much more serious and more likely to grow and spread if not diagnosed and treated early. They develop from melanocytes, the pigment-making cells of the skin.
Melanomas can start as moles that have changed or are growing. Melanoma is not always caused by sun exposure. It can appear in the eye, inside of the nose, vagina, and anus.
What are symptoms of skin cancer?
Most of the time, skin cancer will be a mark on your body that you can see. The mark may appear as a new mole or freckle. Sometimes, an existing freckle you have had for a while starts to change.
Basal cell skin cancer can look like:
- A shiny, raised bump that might seem pearl-like or slightly clear. The bump’s color can range from pink to black and depends on your skin tone.
- An area that looks like a scar.
- A small sore that never heals.
Squamous cell skin cancer can look like:
- A round, raised bump similar to a wart.
- A scaly red patch.
- A mouth sore.
Melanoma cell skin cancer can look like:
- A mole that is changing in color, size, and shape.
- A mole that has an uneven shape with ragged edges.
- A mole that is wider than a pencil eraser.
- A mole that has more than one color.
How is skin cancer diagnosed?
You may suspect skin cancer if you have an unusual mole or mark. Or, your primary care physician may find a spot that looks abnormal during a routine exam.
To get a correct diagnosis of skin cancer, you should schedule an exam with a physician who specializes in treating skin conditions. These experts are called dermatologists.
At your exam, the dermatologist will examine the area of concern and check your body for other spots. They will have you change out of your clothes and into a medical gown. They will check your skin all over your body, including the bottoms of your feet.
This is called an “all over skin check.” They will make detailed notes of marks, freckles, and moles and measure them. This will help track changes over time.
Skin check biopsy
Most ovarian tumors are epithelial tumors. They develop in epithelial cells, which form the outermost layer of the ovIf the dermatologist sees a mole or spot that looks concerning, they may decide to biopsy it. This could happen during the same visit as your skin screening.
For a biopsy, they will numb the skin and take a sample of the tissue. Later, that tissue will be examined under a microscope.
Depending on the size and location of the mole, they may be able to remove it completely. If the mole is large, or in a sensitive area such as the face, you may need another procedure to remove it.
Additional tests for skin cancer
If your doctor thinks the mole could be an aggressive skin cancer such as melanoma, you will likely need more tests. These could include:
- Biopsies of lymph nodes close to the mole to see if they have cancer cells.
- Imaging tests, such as a CT-scan or MRI, to look for cancer in other parts of your body.