Distinguishing Age Spots from Skin Cancer: Recognizing the Symptoms Differently
Unfiltered Guide: Known as liver spots or solar lentigines, age spots are common harmless marks that appear on the skin as people age. They can resemble certain types of skin cancer or precancerous growths, but rest assured, they don't necessitate treatment.
To make things crystal clear, let's dive into the differences between age spots and skin cancer, followed by symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments for both conditions.
Age Spots and Skin Cancer: The Lowdown
Age spots and skin cancer may share a similar territory on the skin, but they have some key differences. Unlike skin cancer, age spots are benign.
Age Spots
Age spots form due to the body producing excess melanin to shield the skin from UV radiation. As a result, the skin darkens. They typically appear on light skin and show up from middle age onward. Age spots are:
- Flat and smooth
- Yellow, brown, or gray
- Defined with clear borders
- Between a few millimeters or centimeters in size
- Common in sun-exposed areas like the face, hands, shoulders, feet, arms, and back
Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is a type of cancer that can also showed up on areas of the skin exposed to the sun. UV radiation or other environmental or genetic factors can cause damage to skin cells, leading to accelerated growth and cell mutation - a big no-no! Unlike age spots, skin cancer is harmful and can spread to other parts of the body.
The three most common types of skin cancer are:
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Melanoma
Another mark that might be mistaken for an age spot is actinic keratosis, a precancerous growth caused by UV radiation damage.
Can Age Spots Turn into Cancer?
Fear not! Age spots cannot turn into cancer. Actinic keratosis, however, is a precancerous growth that, if left untreated, may become cancerous.
Symptoms: Age Spots vs Skin Cancer
Understanding symptoms can help easily distinguish between age spots and skin cancer.
Age Spot Symptoms
Age spots are:
- Flat, smooth, and well-defined
- Yellow, brown, or gray
- Between a few millimeters or centimeters in size
- Common in sun-exposed areas, like the face, hands, shoulders, feet, arms, and back
Skin Cancer Symptoms
Skin cancer can vary depending on many factors, but keep an eye out for these potential warning signs:
- Symmetrical or asymmetrical shape
- Irregular, blurred, or ragged edges
- Color changes
- Multiple colors on the same spot
- Pink, blue, purple, black, or brown coloring
- Raised, red patches
- Pale or yellow firm patches
- Pain, itching, oozing, or bleeding
- Crusty or scaly patches
- Raised edges that lower in the middle
Signs of actinic keratosis include:
- Raised, rough, or scaly patches
- Red, gray, pink, or skin-colored patches
- Scaly, rough bumps that can appear in clusters
- Pale or scaly patches on the lips
- Horn-like growths
When to Contact a Doctor
If you notice any changes to your skin that are not typical for you, it's best to speak with a healthcare professional. Early diagnosis of skin cancer can make treatment simpler and improve health outcomes. Seek medical advice if a mark on your skin:
- Changes in color, shape, size, or location
- Looks different from other marks on your skin
- Itches, crusts, scabs over, or doesn't heal within four weeks
Diagnosis and Treatment
A doctor or dermatologist performs a physical examination of age spots, assessing their appearance, texture, and location. If necessary, they may perform a skin biopsy to test for other conditions like skin cancer or actinic keratosis.
Age spots neither need treatment nor pose any health risks. However, if you'd like to reduce their appearance, possible treatments include creams, lotions, and procedures like laser treatments, cryosurgery, microdermabrasion, and chemical peeling.
Treatments for skin cancer vary depending on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as your unique circumstances. If possible, a doctor will surgically remove basal cell and squamous cell cancers. Potential treatments for skin cancer and actinic keratosis are topical therapies, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and systemic medication.
- Age spots, a common skin condition in seniors, form due to excess melanin production to shield the skin from UV radiation, and they are typically found on light skin and appear from middle age onward.
- Unlike age spots, skin cancer is a type of medical condition caused by UV radiation or other environmental factors that can damage skin cells and lead to accelerated growth and cell mutation.
- Skin cancer can appear on areas of the skin exposed to the sun and it is harmful, capable of spreading to other parts of the body. The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
- Actinic keratosis, another skin condition that might be mistaken for an age spot, is a precancerous growth caused by UV radiation damage that, if left untreated, may become cancerous.
- Health-and-wellness practices, such as regular skin checks and the use of skin care products with high SPF, play an important role in the prevention and early detection of skin cancer, along with a balanced diet and good dermatology practices.
