Skin cancer is referred to as the condition of abnormal growth of skin cells. There are mainly three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. They are mainly caused due to exposure to harmful UV rays of the sun and mutation of DNA in cells. As a result, skin cancer occurs mostly on the exposed skin.

However, skin cancer can occur in unexposed parts of the skin as well and if left untreated, they can spread to different parts of the body. One should always look for signs and symptoms of skin cancer to start treatment at an early stage for complete recovery. While a physician, with the help of various medical tests, can diagnose these diseases in a person, the initial symptoms can help a person identify if they are suffering from any form of skin cancer.

Various symptoms of different types of skin cancer:

1. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
BCC is characterized by the following symptoms:

• A pink, pearly white, or skin-coloured bump
  These types of bumps are semi-transparent and often tiny blood vessels could be visible through them. They mainly occur on the neck, face or ears.
• A lesion in black, brown, or blue
  They might appear with dark spots or an elevated translucent border.
• A lesion with the appearance of a scar
  It appears white and without any definite border. They mainly appear in Morpheaform BCC, a very rare variant, and hence the symptoms are easily overlooked.
• Scaly and reddish patches
  It mostly appears on the back or chest with a raised edge.

2. Squamous cell carcinoma
The signs and symptoms for this skin cancer include:

• A firm nodule in red colour
• A rough scaly patch appearing on the lips that may evolve to an open sore
• A sore similar to wart appearing near the anus or in the genitals
• A red-coloured sore or rough patch appearing on the inside of the mouth

3. Melanoma
This type of skin cancer can either make an appearance through unusual moles or a person can experience the symptoms of hidden melanoma. The unusual moles that may imply the development of melanoma and have the following features:

• An asymmetrical or irregular shape
• Irregular or scalloped borders
• Change in the colour of moles
• New moles larger than about six millimetres
• Moles changing size, shape, and colour

Cancerous moles differ from each other in terms of their appearance. They either possess all the features mentioned above or one or two characteristics.

Hidden melanomas, on the other hand, can appear on other unexposed parts of the body. The symptoms one should look for are:

• Acral-lentiginous melanoma under a nail, palms of the hands, or soles of the feet
• Ocular or eye melanoma occurring in the uvea, the layer located beneath the sclera or white portion of the eye
• Mucosal melanoma occurring in the mucous membrane that borders the mouth, nose, oesophagus, urinary tract, etc.

While the visible symptoms might help to identify the types of skin cancer, the hidden symptoms are difficult to detect. If one suspects any development of skin cancer symptoms, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately for proper diagnosis.