The hand is particularly susceptible to skin cancers due to its constant exposure to the sun and some industrial chemicals. In fact, recent studies have shown an increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma, a particularly serious form of skin cancer. One certainly doesn’t need to worry about every bump or blemish on the hand, since these cancers are still very uncommon. Nonetheless, there are certain characteristics of skin lesions that should stimulate one to seek attention from a dermatologist or hand surgeon. These include: lesions that are raised above the level of the skin; wounds that contain a central ulcer or open wound; sores that won’t heal; moles that rapidly grow or change shape; lumps that are rapidly enlarging, or have become painful; discolored marks under the nail without a history of trauma, that don’t advance toward the tip of the finger with nail growth; or changes of the skin overlying a mass such as puckering or dimpling.

The good news is that the majority of these tumors are recognized early and are quite treatable. Best of course, is prevention, which includes the use of gloves around toxic chemicals and sunscreen protection when outdoors.