Stubbing your TOE reveals a SKIN CANCER SECRET?

If you’ve every STUBBED your toe, or SLAMMED your finger into something, there’s a pretty good chance you developed an ugly-looking bruise under your nail.

You know exactly where it came from and know it will eventually subside.

But if you’re noticing marks under your nails that resemble a bruise—and know that you DIDN’T injure yourself—you may want to pay close attention.

Because it could be a warning sign of a dangerous SKIN CANCER.

These unsightly bruises could be an early warning sign of subungual melanoma—a type of skin cancer that occurs in the skin UNDER your nails.

Subungual melanoma often starts as a brown or black streak under a toenail or fingernail—which is why many mistake it for a bruise.

A subungual melanoma diagnosis is rare (only 0.07% to 3.5% of those who have melanoma get the subungual variety), but it is very serious as it can spread to other parts of your body and turn fatal.

To make things more complicated, the exact cause of subungual melanoma is unknown—and it has ZERO connection to sun exposure.

Unfortunately, many folks don’t notice (or know about) the warning signs. But one of the tell-tale indicators of subungual melanoma is a “Hutchinson’s sign.” This is when your nail pigment extends onto the skin surrounding the nail.

And if you ever start seeing this “bruising” and know for a fact you DIDN’T injure yourself… see your doctor.

A series of assessments and tests will determine if the coloring is related to subungual melanoma—or if it’s another condition that can be easily treated.

If minor conditions are ruled out and there’s a subungual melanoma suspicion, your doctor will likely order a biopsy of the skin around your nail.

If a biopsy confirms it is indeed melanoma, the next step will be to determine IF and WHERE the cancer has spread.

But there is a silver lining to a subungual diagnosis…

In many cases, subungual melanoma may be classified as “in situ,” meaning it is confined to the top layer of skin and, therefore, can be treated by removing a small area of the skin.

If you ARE diagnosed with subungual melanoma, explore all your treatment options. Get a second (or even a third) opinion… especially with a doctor that specializes in integrative or functional medicine.

To identifying skin cancer early,

Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Nall, Rachel. “What to know about subungual melanoma.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319100