Poisonous Spider Bites Are Sometimes Misdiagnosed for Roughly 40 Conditions Including Skin Cancer. Knowing the Signs of Cancer

A person bitten by a poisonous spider can leave a lesion or a lump. However, signs of skin cancer can also leave unusual marks, spots, and discolorations on the skin.

Famed weatherman Sam Champion, 63, has had a long history with skin cancer. He recently underwent skin cancer surgery after spotting an unusual spot underneath his eye that was revealed to be a form of skin cancer.

Fortunately, some helpful hints help you distinguish whether a suspicious spot or abrasion on your skin is a sign of a spider bite or skin cancer.

Learning the Difference

If you suspect your suspicious spot is a spider bite, consider the mnemonic device, NOT RECLUSE. This can help pinpoint the origins of the spot on your skin as a bite from the poisonous brown recluse spider.

If two or more of these signs apply to you, you may exclude the likelihood of a brown recluse spider as the source of the unusual spot on your skin.

• Numerous: More than one injury
• Occurrence: Not in a secluded area like a box, closet or attic
• Timing: The wound arose sometime between November and March
• Red Center: The center of the wound is red
• Elevated: The middle of the wound is elevated, not sunken
• Chronic: The wound has persisted for more than three months
• Large: The injury is more than 10 centimeters wide
• Ulcerates Too Early: The injury gets crusty within the first week
• Swollen: The wound swells up if it’s below the neck
• Exudative: The wound is “wet,” oozing pus or clear fluid

Pinpointing Signs of Skin Cancer

You should check your body for unusual spots or moles at least once a month. Any new spots or changes in size or color demand your attention.

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. Though these marks are unlikely to be cancerous, you’ll want to keep an eye on them and inform your doctor about any changes you notice.

WATCH: When checking for melanoma, remember your ABCDEs

Melanoma is most likely to develop on sun-exposed skin, such as the face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, it might also develop in places that have never been exposed to the sun, such as the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, your eyes or mouth, or under your nails.

SurvivorNet experts describe melanoma symptoms as:

• A sore that doesn’t heal
• Color that spreads from the border of a spot to the skin around it
• Redness or swelling that goes beyond the area of a mole.
• Itchiness, tenderness, or pain
• A change in the way the surface of a mole looks.
• Scaliness, oozing, or blood

Tips to Protect Your Skin from Skin Cancer

As much as many of us enjoy spending lots of time in the sun during the spring and summer, we must remember that the sun can harm us. For most people, there are simple ways to significantly reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.

Dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman offers five ways to protect your skin from cancer. Most of her recommendations are simple to follow and could save your life.

WATCH: How to protect your skin from skin cancer.

Her simple tips include:

• Avoid the sun during peak hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you are outside during those hours, protect yourself from harmful sun rays.
• Cover your skin and eyes. A wide-brim hat and sunglasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
• Wear an SPF of 30 or higher. Dr. Engelman also recommends reapplying every few hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.
• Get an annual skin check. You can check your skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to ensure you don’t miss anything. If you notice anything unusual between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor.
• Avoid tanning beds. If you feel like you’re just too pale, Dr. Engelman recommends a sunless tanner. “There’s absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed,” Dr. Engelman said.

WATCH: Melanoma treatment options

People with Darker Skin Complexions Also Face Skin Cancer Risks

A rare form of melanoma called acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) impacted Bob Marley. According to research published in the medical journal Neoplasia, acral melanoma “arises on the non-hair bearing skin of the nail bed, palms of the hand and soles of the feet” and is not linked to sun ultraviolet (UV) light like other skin cancers.

This rare subtype of melanoma is more common among people of Black, Hispanic/Latin, and Asian descent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Non-Hispanic Black people are often diagnosed with melanoma at later stages, and the predominant histologic types of melanomas that occur in non-Hispanic Black people have poorer survival rates than the most common types among non-Hispanic white people.

((Questions to Ask Your Doctor))

If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, you may have some questions for your doctor. SurvivorNet suggests some of the following to help you on your cancer journey.

• What type of skin cancer do I have?
• What treatment options exist for my specific cancer?
• Will insurance cover this treatment?
• Would treatment through a clinical trial make sense to me?
• What resources exist to help manage my anxiety because of this diagnosis?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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