Does Lesions Mean Cancer?

An area of abnormal tissue. A lesion may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

What type of cancer causes lesions?

Skin cancers -- including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma -- often start as changes to your skin. They can be new growths or precancerous lesions -- changes that are not cancer but could become cancer over time.

Do lesions always mean cancer?

Lesions can be categorized according to whether or not they are caused by cancer. A benign lesion is non-cancerous whereas a malignant lesion is cancerous. For example, a biopsy of a skin lesion may prove it to be benign or malignant, or evolving into a malignant lesion (called a premalignant lesion).