Be sure to show your doctor any area that concerns you. A qualified doctor should be able to identify any suspicious areas you may have. If your doctor suspects you might have skin cancer, he or she will use one or more of the following methods to find out.
Medical history and physical exam
Usually the doctor's first step is to take your medical history (ask questions about symptoms and risk factors). The doctor probably will ask when the mark on the skin first appeared and if it has changed in size or appearance. You may also be asked about past exposures to known causes of skin cancer (including sunburns and tanning practices) and if you or anyone in your family has had skin cancer.
During your physical exam, your doctor will note the size, shape, color, and texture of the area in question, and if there is bleeding or scaling. The rest of your body may be checked for spots and moles that may be related to skin cancer.
The doctor may also feel the lymph nodes (bean-sized collections of immune system cells) under the skin near the suspicious area. Some skin cancers may spread to lymph nodes. Affected lymph nodes may become larger and firmer than usual.
If you are being seen by your primary doctor and skin cancer is suspected, you may be referred to a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin diseases), who will look at the area more closely.
Along with a standard physical exam, many dermatologists use dermoscopy (also known as epiluminescence microscopy [ELM], surface microscopy, or dermatoscopy) to help determine if a spot might be skin cancer. The doctor uses a dermatoscope, which is a special magnifying lens and light source held near the skin. Sometimes the doctor will use a thin layer of oil with this instrument. A digital or photographic image of the spot may be taken.
When used by an experienced dermatologist, this test can improve the accuracy of finding skin cancers early. It can also often help reassure you that a lesion is likely benign (non-cancerous) without the need for a biopsy.
Skin biopsy
If the doctor thinks that a suspicious area might be skin cancer, they will take a sample of skin from that area to be looked at under a microscope. This is called a skin biopsy. Different methods can be used for a skin biopsy. The choice of method depends on the possible type of skin cancer, where it is on the body, and the size of the affected area. For more detailed information on biopsies, see our documents, Melanoma Skin Cancer and Skin Cancer: Basal and Squamous Cell.
If a spot is found to be cancerous or pre-cancerous, your doctor may recommend further tests or treatment. If the spot is small and localized, a more extensive biopsy or some type of surgery may be all that is needed. For cancers that might be more extensive (especially melanomas), imaging tests might be done to see if the cancer has spread, and further treatment such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation might be needed. Again, for more detailed information, see our skin cancer documents.
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