What Are the Symptoms of Foot Cancer?
According to Medical News Today, symptoms of foot cancer include lumps or blemishes on the foot, new moles, open sores and swelling or itchiness. Cancerous moles or tumors generally start under toenails or on the bottom of the foot.
Medical News Today reports that foot cancer often goes undiagnosed because feet are generally ignored and the cancer is difficult to identify, especially because it often first starts under the toenail. A person who notices discolored, bleeding or enlarged lesions on the foot that do not heal should see a professional right away, especially if those lesions change shape, size and color.
Medical News Today points out that foot cancer is a melanoma, which is skin cancer, and advises people to take certain steps to prevent it. First, either shoes should fully cover the foot, or sunscreen needs to be liberally applied. Second, people need to inspect their feet regularly, especially the skin under the toenails. If prevention measures fail, then early detection is important. The sooner foot cancer is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated. In order to identify this disease correctly, doctors do a biopsy by taking a piece of the lesion or cancerous skin to examine. Treatment of foot cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
