Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US. When found early, skin cancer is very treatable and can be cured. Unfortunately, a lot of patients don’t notice the signs of skin cancer until it’s too late. The longer it goes on undiagnosed, the harder it is for medical professionals to treat. 

Consequently, everyone should understand how to spot the telltale signs of skin cancer. So, what does skin cancer look like? Naturally, it won’t look identical on every individual, but there’s an easy way to determine if something is cancerous or not. 

Skin Cancerinfographic Long Beach

Learn About the ABCDE’s of Skin Cancer

The ABCDE’s of skin cancer refers to a series of signs that lesions on your body will possess if they are cancerous. By learning what each letter stands for, you can start checking your body and knowing if you should get something looked at or not. 

The ABCDE’s are:

  • Asymmetry
  • Border
  • Color
  • Diameter
  • Evolution

Asymmetry

If you look at a mole or blemish on your body that seems new, you should check if it is symmetrical. If one half is different from the other, it could be a warning sign of cancer. 

Borders

Are the outer edges of the blemish perfectly smooth or are they a bit irregular and poorly defined? If the latter is true, this is a dangerous sign. 

Color

Typically, skin cancer manifests as a darker color on some of your beauty spots of moles. It could also have different shades of colors or be a dark brown. 

Diameter

The diameter of the spot is larger than 6mm, it could potentially be a sign of skin cancer. 

Evolution

Does this particular blemish look completely different from all others on your body? Is it changing or size or evolving over time? If any of these things are true, you should see a specialist right away. 

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Benefits of Annual Skin Checks

It’s an extremely smart idea to receive skin checks once per year from a specialist. This is the best way to track changes in your skin and to identify some of the signs shown above. Ultimately, it will help you spot any serious skin conditions – like cancer – as early as possible. The sooner it is caught, the easier it will be to treat, leading to a more positive outcome. 

Not only that, but skin checks can give you peace of mind if you’re worried about something. Just because you’ve seen one of the signs above, it doesn’t automatically mean you have skin cancer. Seeing a specialist for an annual skin check could put your mind at ease and stop any worrying. 

Skin Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Laser Skin Care Center offers a couple of treatment options relating to skin cancer. Our in-house pathology lab is a CLIA certified lab for testing patients for skin cancer. We can produce extremely fast results from each test, ensuring you get the information you need as soon as possible. 

Alongside this, we provide Mohs surgery for skin cancer patients. This surgery is designed to help examine and remove cancerous tissue from your body while minimizing the impact on healthy skin. Mohs surgery is seen as the gold standard for the treatment of skin cancer.

On time!!! Efficient staff. First time patient and my doctor, Sandra Kuo, was professional and a wonderful bedside manner. I will definitely return.

MF, Happy Patient
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Take the Next Step

If you’d like to learn more about skin cancer and Mohs surgery, please fill out the form on this page or call (562) 997-1144. Laser Skin Care Center proudly serves the Long Beach, CA area and offers a variety of cosmetic dermatology services.

*Individual results may vary.