Dark spots on the skin, when is it a sign of skin cancer?

Every year, the melanoma specialist clinic of the Central Dermatology Hospital examines and detects about 25-30 new patients.

Typical cancer cell image - Photo: BVCC

Recently, patients of different ages (one over 60 years old and one over 30 years old) have come to the Central Dermatology Hospital after seeing black spots on the soles of their feet similar to the signs of skin cancer described in the media recently.

Patients over 60 years old see black lesions on the sole of the right foot appear about 3-10 years, over time the lesions gradually increase in size and become darker. In patients over 30 years old, the lesions are black with a lesion size of about 11mm.

Here, patients are examined by doctors of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Rehabilitation and are prescribed blood tests, ultrasounds, dermoscopy - a special test in dermatology, which can detect early signs of skin cancer, biopsy tests...

After synthesizing the paraclinical results, the doctor determined that all patients had malignant melanoma in situ (MM).

Fortunately for these patients, the disease is only in the early stages, requiring only surgical treatment to remove the entire tumor and reconstruct the defect. The patient will then be monitored and re-examined periodically for 5 years.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Quang, Deputy Head of the Melanoma Specialist Group, Central Dermatology Hospital, said that melanoma is one of the most malignant skin cancers because it progresses rapidly and metastasizes far away.

Although the disease is very malignant with a high rate of metastasis, if detected early and treated properly, the results will be good, the survival rate after 5 years from the time of detection is very high, especially for melanoma in situ.

Every year, the melanoma specialist clinic of the Central Dermatology Hospital examines and detects about 25 - 30 new patients.

Signs of melanoma are black lesions with a size > 6mm, progressing in size over time, and inconsistent in color anywhere on the skin and mucous membranes, but in Vietnamese people, they often appear at the extremities such as the hands, fingers, and toes.

Doctor Quang said that if people see the above signs, they should go to a specialized medical facility for early detection and timely treatment.

This is very important, it can be treated radically at the lowest cost and especially the quality of life of the patient is improved, greatly reducing the cost of treatment. If you see black lesions on the soles of the feet, or nails with a size of more than 6mm, you should see a dermatologist.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dom-den-tren-da-khi-nao-la-dau-hieu-cua-ung-thu-da-20251125144229243.htm