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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Gregory Cardinal, DPM, MS
Your Feet and Skin Cancer
Podiatrist in Motion, LLC
. http://www.podiatristinmotion.com/

Your Feet and Skin Cancer

When many people think of skin cancer, the feet are usually not high on the list of places to check or even apply sun screen. It's usually the nose, ears, face, neck etc. where sun exposure is high. However, skin cancer of the feet is more common than one would think and all the more important to examine your feet on a consistent basis.

Many contributing factors besides the sun can be worthy causes of cancer such as chemical exposure, irritation and viruses to name a few and many different types of skin cancer can develop such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.

When self-examining your foot for common findings in possible cancerous lesions it's best to start with what are known as the ABCD's of Melanoma. They are as follows Assymetry in the lesion if you were to slice the lesion in half would the two halves be near mirror images. Border are the edges scalloped or ragged in appearance. Color is it even or vary in distribution. Diameter is it wider than 6mm.

Skin cancer can also develop in toenails. In the nail, a type of melanoma can appear as a dark pigmented streak in the nail. Although many times, especially in people of color and ethnic backgrounds, this is usually a common and benign finding. However, it is not very common in Caucasians, especially if the streak is very dark or black, has not moved or grown out over a period of time, appears in only one nail or extends beyond the cuticle, this should prompt a visit to the foot doctor for work up and possible biopsy.

In the fight against skin cancer, it's important to remember your feet, apply sunscreen when wearing sandals or when barefoot at the beach or pool and keep tabs on any suspicious looking moles, bumps, sores, streaks in toenails and other lesions by using the ABCD's as described above.

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