Beware of lesions on your feet that may be cancerous growths in disguise. Skin cancer can look a lot like other conditions including moles, blisters, and warts. It’s best to have regular checkups with your foot doctor since he or she will be able to identify potential tumors and have them biopsied to check for cancer cells.

These are 3 of the cancers that can strike your feet:

1. Malignant melanoma—This is one of the most aggressive of cancers, and since it has a tendency to grow inward from the surface without spreading much laterally, it can reach your lymphatic and blood vessels and spread to other parts of the body in a process called metastasis. After it spreads, it is potentially much more deadly and much harder to treat.
2. Basal cell carcinoma—Basal cell skin tumors grow slowly and may have the appearance of pink or white bumps that look like warts, so have them checked out by your foot doctor.
3. Squamous cell tumor—This is an aggressive cancer that occurs in the topmost layers of skin and can sometimes be easily identified by a protrusion in the skin that resembles a horn.

Since cancerous lesions can look very similar to other skin conditions, be sure to see your foot doctor and don’t take any chances. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.