Q. I'VE HAD A BRIGHT RED, RAISED SPOT ON MY LEG FOR YEARS. MY MUM SAYS IT'S JUST AN AGE SPOT BUT COULD IT BE SKIN CANCER?
A. Our legs are often left uncovered, particularly in childhood, which adds up to a lot of UV light exposure, so it isn't uncommon to have patches of sun damage on your lower limbs. Age spots, however, are like big freckles and tend to be brown, rather than red. A red patch may be a sign of Bowen's disease which typically occurs on the legs and can turn michievous - in very rare cases it can lead to cancer. The patch tends to be slow growing, can be raised and scaly and is sometimes mistaken for eczema or psoriasis. Ask your GP to take a look.
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