Skin Assessment

Highlight the abnormal findings that the nurse should be concerned about. Select all that apply.

A 40-year-old woman reports a change in mole size, accompanied by color changes, itching, burning, and bleeding over the past month. She has a dark complexion and has no family history of skin cancer, but she has had many blistering sunburns in the past.

A change in the size of a mole is a significant red flag and should be concerning for potential skin cancer, particularly melanoma. A mole that enlarges over time, especially if it changes size rapidly, can indicate the development of malignant melanoma.

Color changes in a mole, such as darkening, lightening, or developing multiple colors, should raise concern for melanoma. Melanomas often present with uneven pigmentation, where the mole may become more than one color, such as black, blue, red, or brown. This change in color is abnormal and requires further investigation.

Itching and burning are abnormal symptoms associated with skin lesions and can be indicative of skin cancer. These sensations can occur when the skin becomes irritated or inflamed due to a growing malignancy such as melanoma.

Bleeding from a mole is a red flag and is concerning for skin cancer, especially melanoma. A mole that bleeds or oozes may be ulcerating or eroding, which are signs of more advanced skin cancer.