Health unit alerts public of ‘unusual’ spots skin cancer can develop

Windsor’s health unit is warning skin cancer can develop in some unexpected places. CTV Windsor’s Stefanie Masotti has more.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is warning the public that skin cancer is possible, even in places you may have thought it wasn’t.

WECHU Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, said as the ozone layer on Earth thins, there is a bigger risk of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure.

“Not all people are in the same boat in terms of risk factors, said Aloosh.

“Some people are at high risk, [such as] children, adolescent people with a lighter skin colour, lighter hair colour, and those who are working outside or who have the pleasure outside doing sport activities are at high risk because of the exposure.”

Statistics Canada said one in 73 Canadian women will develop melanoma in their lifetime. One in 59 men will develop the disease.

“If you have a family history of skin cancer, if you have a lot of moles on your body, if you are immunocompromised, using some medications, or we have underlying disease conditions,” Aloosh noted, outlining when someone is more vulnerable to the disease.

It is common to get skin cancer on your face, neck, chest, back, and legs, but it can also develop in your eyes, under your fingernails, on the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, inside the ear, and on the lips.

“How we can prevent [this], staying in the shade, putting on sunscreen, don’t go out during the maximum UV light, which is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” he said.

Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. In 2024, an estimated 11,300 Canadians were diagnosed with it, and 1,300 died from it.

If you have a mole on your body, you should conduct skin checks by using the ‘ABCDEs’ of melanoma.

• A – Asymmetry: If one half of the spot is unlike the other half, it could be a sign for concern.
• B – Border: Have it checked if the spot has an irregular or poorly defined border.
• C – Colour: An abnormal spot will have varying colours from one area to the next, with shades of tan, brown, black, or areas of white, red, or blue.
• D – Diameter: While melanomas are usually greater than six millimetres, or about the size of a pencil eraser when diagnosed, they can be smaller.
• E – Evolving: If the spot looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape, or colour, get checked out.

“Skin cancers are one of the most preventative cancers,” Aloosh noted.