Patients often ask us what to look for when examining their own skin for potential cancer. The following signs should be promptly investigated:

• A new skin growth that does not disappear in four to six weeks.
• Any skin lesion that continues to grow and turns red, brown, black or is multicolored.
• A mole, birthmark or beauty mark that increases in size, changes color or texture, or becomes irregular in outline.
• An open sore or wound that refuses to heal, persists for more than four weeks or heals and later reopens.
• Any skin spot or growth that continues to itch, hurt, crust over, form a scab, becomes a sore or bleeds for several weeks.