Pink Line or Stripe on Fingernail or Toenail Can Be Melanoma
You probably already know that nail melanoma is often a dark line or stripe under the nail, but it can also be pink or a pinkish flesh color. Read more…
What Causes a Pimple to Be Purple? Could Cancer?
If pimples are supposed to be some shade of pink or flesh colored, then what causes a pimple to be purple? Read more…
Is Nail Melanoma Always a Stripe or Can It Be a Smudge?
Did you know that nail melanoma doesn’t always present as a line, streak, stripe or band? Nail melanoma can also appear as a smudge, smear or blotch. Read more…
Two Big Warning Signs You May Have Nail Melanoma
Yes, melanoma can affect a fingernail or toenail, and there are two major warning signs that what you see is a potentially deadly tumor — also known as subungual melanoma. Read Read more...
Can an Irritated Skin Tag Turn into Cancer?
Skin tags are common and depending on their location are prone to irritation including bleeding. Can an irritated skin tag, however, actually transform into cancer such as melanoma? Read more…
How Well Does Sunscreen Protect Against Melanoma Skin Cancer?
Being that melanoma can arise inside the eye, in the mouth and on the bottom of the feet, just how well does sunscreen protect against this often-fatal skin cancer? A study out of Australia has Read more...
Part of the Body Melanoma Most Often Grows in Dark Skin
There are certain parts of the body that melanoma is more likely to grow in blacks and other dark skinned individuals. People with dark skin are not immune to melanoma, especially since this skin cancer Read more...
How Rare Is Melanoma in Dark Skinned Children?
Though melanoma is very rare in children, and rare in dark skinned adults, just how rare is it in a person who’s both dark and under age 20? Read more…
Can a Teenager Get Melanoma in the Mouth?
The answer is “Yes” to the question, Can a teen get melanoma of the mouth. The most highly publicized presentation of melanoma is that of a “mole” on the skin. Read Read more...
Malignant Melanoma vs. Benign: The Difference
Have you seen the term “benign melanoma” or “non-malignant melanoma” and thus wonder what the difference is between malignant and benign melanoma? • “Mela” refers to pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) • “Oma” refers to mass or Read more...
Child’s Melanoma vs. Adults’: Appearance Comparison
The ABCDE rules of melanoma screening for adults don’t apply to children. There are distinct differences in the way melanoma appears in kids than it does in adults. Read more…
If Doctor Thinks Teen’s Mole Must Be Watched, Why Not Biopsy It?
If a teen’s mole is suspicious enough for a doctor to say, “It should be watched,” then why not just biopsy it in case it’s melanoma? Teens DO get melanoma. “Melanoma among adolescents and young Read more...
Big Red Pimple on Teen’s Nose that Won’t Go Away
What appears to be a big red pimple on a teen’s nose may actually be melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Read more…
What Are All the Different Colors that Nail Melanoma Can Be ?
That line or stripe down a nail that’s melanoma isn’t always black or dark brown. It can be other colors, too, and it’s not always a stripe or line, either. Read Read more...
Edge of Longstanding Mole Is Coming Away from Skin: Melanoma?
The mole has been there since you could remember, when suddenly an edge of it has started to come away from the skin. Read more…
Bump Under Eyelid: Skin Cancer or Chalazion Cyst?
What are the hallmark features that would point towards skin cancer vs. a chalazion cyst if you have a bump under the eyelid? Many people quickly think of cancer when they discover a “bump” somewhere Read more...
Percentage of Mole Biopsies that Come Back Melanoma?
If you’ve ever had a mole removed for biopsy, have you ever wondered what the mathematical odds were of it coming back as melanoma? It’s unimaginable how many moles every year in the U.S. or Read more...
When a Skin Sample Is Sent for Biopsy: Handling the Anxiety
It’s just plain total anxiety when a skin sample is sent off for a biopsy, especially when you did not expect this to happen, and all you can think of is “What if it comes Read more...
Can Melanoma Be Mistaken for Normal Cells Under a Microscope?
It’s scary but true: For any number of reasons, a pathologist may mistake melanoma for benign cells under a microscope and incorrectly diagnosed the sample. Read more…
How Long It Takes a Lab to Analyze Mole Biopsy for Melanoma
Melanoma cells under a microscope When a dermapathologist views mole cells under a microscope, how long does it take them to identify if it’s melanoma or benign? Your doctor will tell you it Read more...