Cancerous tumors on the eyelids have certain characteristics that distinguish them from benign lesions. You can suspect that you have eyelid cancer if you notice a mass or bump around the eye that does not go away with topical treatments. If the mass has shown signs of growth and bleeds with minor trauma, the probability of cancer is even higher.
Other signs of malignancy are irregular borders, skin ulceration, and loss of eyelashes in the location of the growth. A red, scaly patch on the skin that becomes chronic also raises the suspicion of cancer. The most common form of eyelid skin cancer, called basal cell carcinoma, presents as a growth that has raised, pearly borders and small blood vessels on its base.
These are clinical signs of skin cancer. However, the only way to be certain that a mass is cancer is by taking a biopsy. The pathologist can analyze the specimen and make the diagnosis. This is also critical to know which type of cancer the patient has.
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