{"id":491122,"date":"2026-06-23T06:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/491122\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T06:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:58:10","slug":"its-not-just-your-moles-the-skin-changes-that-could-flag-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/491122\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Not Just Your Moles: The Skin Changes That Could Flag Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Skin<\/p>\n

Skin cancer, close-up. Science Photo Library – DR. P. M via Getty Images<\/p>\n

What springs to mind when you think of classic skin cancer <\/a>symptoms? If it\u2019s mole changes you\u2019re certainly not alone.<\/p>\n

And while keeping an eye on your moles is very sensible (the ABCDE method<\/a> is a useful way to determine if a mole might be melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer), it\u2019s also worth being aware of other skin changes that could flag cancer.<\/p>\n

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer \u2013\u00a0roughly three in 10 people with fair skin will develop it, according to the British Skin Foundation (BSF). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), meanwhile, is second most common.<\/p>\n

Where do these skin cancers typically occur?<\/p>\n

BCC and SCC can occur anywhere on the body but are usually found on areas which are frequently exposed to sun \u2013\u00a0think the face, head, ears, neck, back of hands, scalp, and bottom of the legs.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of basal cell carcinoma?<\/p>\n

The British Skin Foundation<\/a> and Skin Cancer Foundation<\/a> suggest BCC and SCC can appear as:<\/p>\n

A scab or open sore that bleeds and doesn\u2019t heal.<\/p>\n

A pink, red or pearly-looking lump on the skin which doesn\u2019t go away.<\/p>\n

A small pink growth with a slightly raised, rolled edge and a crusted indentation in the middle.<\/p>\n

Scaly pink or red flat marks on the skin (these patches might look darker on black or brown skin, the NHS notes<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The sooner you get it checked, the better, as skin cancer is easier to treat when it\u2019s flagged earlier.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma?<\/p>\n

SCC has similar symptoms to BCC.\u00a0The Skin Cancer Foundation says this type of cancer can look like:<\/p>\n

A wart-like growth that crusts and might also bleed.<\/p>\n

An open sore that bleeds or crusts and doesn\u2019t heal.<\/p>\n

A scaly red patch with irregular borders (which can also go crusty and bleed).<\/p>\n

A growth with a dent\/depression in the middle that might also bleed.<\/p>\n

What about melanoma?<\/p>\n

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that can appear anywhere on the body, but is most commonly found on men\u2019s backs and women\u2019s legs.<\/p>\n

It starts in cells in the skin called melanocyte and can develop from existing moles, but in 70% of cases appears as new marks on the skin.<\/p>\n

This type of cancer can prove deadly \u2013 UK deaths from melanoma skin cancer have risen by 150% since the 1970s, according to Cancer Research UK.<\/p>\n

The most common symptom of melanoma is a new mole or changes to an existing mole. In most cases, melanomas have an irregular shape and are more than one colour.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s helpful to remember the A-B-C-D-E rule when assessing your moles. Take note if there is:<\/p>\n

Asymmetry:\u00a0the two halves of the area differ in shape.<\/p>\n

Border:\u00a0the edges of the area may be irregular or blurred, and sometimes show notches.<\/p>\n

Colour:\u00a0this may be uneven. Different shades of black, brown and pink may be seen.<\/p>\n

Diameter:\u00a0most melanomas are at least 6mm in diameter. They tend to be larger than your other moles and can sometimes be itchy or bleed.<\/p>\n

Evolution: your mole changes size, shape or colour.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve noticed skin changes, what should I do?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve spotted any skin changes that look suspicious, book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible, who can refer you to a specialist if they suspect you have skin cancer.<\/p>\n

Related…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Skin cancer, close-up. Science Photo Library – DR. P. M via Getty Images What springs to mind when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":491123,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[29475,246187,134,246190,111,139,69,29476,246186,246189,246188,29477],"class_list":["post-491122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-basal-cell-carcinoma","tag-british-skin-foundation","tag-health","tag-mole-changes","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-skin-cancer","tag-skin-cancer-foundation","tag-skin-cancers","tag-skin-changes","tag-squamous-cell-carcinoma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=491122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/491123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=491122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=491122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=491122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}