Can Cancer Affect My Feet?

One of the most frequent cancers to affect the feet is skin cancer. While the vast majority of tumors are not cancerous, those that are deserve particular attention due to their virulence.

Lesions and growths on the feet can mimic other problems, and you never really know if it’s cancer until you have it evaluated by your podiatrist. Just because something looks like a wart or mole doesn’t mean that it’s not cancer.

Skin cancer that affects the feet often takes on the following forms:

1)    Melanoma - This type of skin cancer can spread rapidly and often does so under the surface so you need to be on the watch for melanomas so they don’t spread to your lymph nodes and beyond.

2)    Basal cell tumors - Basal cell growths propagate slowly, and start out looking like just a little pink or white bump. They often resemble warts but have more nefarious intentions.    

3)    Squamous cell - The squamous cells of your skin reside in the upper layers, and when this type of tumor occurs one of the most telltale signs is a protrusion from the skin that looks like a horn.

Be careful to monitor your skin for growths that look weird or even just normal. Those are probably the ones you will be wrong about, so see your podiatrist and don’t take any chances. At Fit Feet for Life, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies and years of experience to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including heel pain, sports injuries, toe deformities, nail fungus, and plantar warts.  Bonnie Sanchez, DPM, and Gregory Cook, DPM, provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area at our five offices conveniently located in Sun City Center, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and our two Tampa locations. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.