Skin Cancer & Precancerous Lesions

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, affecting over one million Americans each year. The leading cause is overexposure to sunlight or tanning, especially when it leads to blistering burns. Additional risk factors include frequent X-ray exposure, scarring from burns or disease, chemical exposure (coal, arsenic), and family history.

Individuals with fair skin who burn easily are at the highest risk and should use broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) daily to prevent UV damage.

A man with freckled skin sitting shirtless at a doctor's office, receiving a medical examination or consultation from a healthcare provider wearing white gloves.
Person receiving a vaccination shot in upper arm from a healthcare professional wearing white gloves.

Major Types of Skin Cancer

    • The most common and least aggressive form of skin cancer

    • Appears as a pearly, flesh-colored bump—often on the head, neck, or hands

    • Can bleed, crust, and recur if untreated

    • Rare among darker skin tones

    • Presents as red, scaly patches or raised lesions on the ears, face, lips, or mouth

    • More likely to occur in fair-skinned individuals

    • Can spread if ignored, but has a 95% cure rate when treated early

    • The deadliest form of skin cancer

    • Often appears as an asymmetric mole with irregular borders and uneven pigmentation (brown, black, or mixed tones)

    • Early detection is critical—any changing or enlarging mole should be examined immediately

Back of a woman with light skin and brown hair styled in an updo, showing moles or freckles on her back and shoulders, wearing a white spaghetti strap top, with sunlight casting a shadow on the wall behind her.

  • A - Asymmetry

    • Benign moles are symmetrical; cancerous moles are usually asymmetrical meaning, if you draw a line down the middle, the two halves will not match.

  • B - Border

    • Cancerous moles usually have irregular borders that can be jagged, ragged, spotty, or blurred into the surrounding skin.

  • C - Color

    • Cancerous moles have irregular color and may include hues of brown, black, tan, or even patches of white, red, pink, or blue

  • D - Diameter

    • Melanomas typically have a diameter of greater than 6mm or 1/4 inch, though some may be detectable at even smaller diameters.

  • E - Evolution

    • Cancerous moles will change shape, size, texture, or color over weeks or months and may start to itch with time.

The ABC’s of Skin Cancer

Performing self-exams and checking your moles monthly can help detect early changes that may be cancerous. If you notice any new, developing, or unusual changes that you suspect may be cancerous, contact your dermatologist immediately.

Diagnosis & Treatment

At MD Claiborne Dermatology, our board-certified dermatologists provide expert skin cancer screenings and advanced treatment options, including:

  • Surgical excision with precision closure

  • Mohs micrographic surgery for tissue-sparing removal of facial or complex lesions

  • Superficial radiation therapy for select cases

  • Topical chemotherapy for noninvasive cancers

Routine skin checks are your best defense against skin cancer.