Although rare, skin cancer, including melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — can develop under and around the fingernails and toenails. While anyone can develop melanoma on their nails, it's more common in older individuals and people with skin of color.
Dark areas near the cuticle of the nail (subungual lesions): These look like bruises under the nails, and are usually along the bottom edge of the nail, near the cuticle. These kinds of color changes can be seen in nail cancer (called melanoma) and can also be a side effect of some types of drugs used to treat cancer.
Nails may darken, crack or become brittle. White ridges or bands of discoloration may appear along the nails.
Clubbing occurs in stages. In early-stage lung cancer finger clubbing, the nail bed may be soft and the skin next to it may be shiny; nails may appear more curved than usual when viewed from the side, and the ends of fingers may become larger than usual.
When checking your nails for melanoma, dermatologists recommend looking for the following changes: A dark streak. This may look like a brown or black band in the nail — often on the thumb or big toe of your dominant hand or foot. However, this dark streak can show up on any nail.
Dystrophic nail changes are a well-known phenomenon described in T-cell lymphomas. Nail changes including discoloration, crumbling, onycholysis, Beau lines, ridging, pitting, thinning, etc., have been described in T-cell lymphomas [1, 2]. Reports of nail changes in B-cell lymphomas and Hodgkin lymphomas are limited.
Terry's nails is a type of nail discoloration. The nailbeds look “washed out,” except for a thin reddish-brown strip near the tip. Often, Terry's nails is a symptom of a chronic condition, such as liver failure or diabetes. Sometimes, it is a sign of aging.
Finger clubbing is seen in 35% of people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and in 4% of those with small cell lung cancer. Finger clubbing is when the ends of your fingers swell up, and it happens in stages. First, the base of the nail becomes soft and the skin next to the nail bed becomes shiny.
Chemotherapy drugs sometimes cause mild, temporary changes in nails and nail beds. These may include brittleness, grooving, discoloration, change in growth rate, heightened sensitivity, and lifting of the nail bed. If the latter occurs, nails should be kept short.
Your nails can develop concave or spoon-shaped dents if you have kidney disease. Additionally, they may have a yellow overcoat or an unnatural white and red-brown coloration that divides the nail in half. Plus, they can also become brittle or get detached from the skin.
Very pale nails
Healthy nails are generally pink. Very pale nails may indicate illnesses, such as anemia, congestive heart failure or liver disease.
Changes in Nail Shape
It could indicate heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lung disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, or HIV/AIDS. Puffy redness near the cuticle can indicate inflammation, a bacteria or yeast infection, Lupus, or other connective tissue disease.
Melanoma of the nail unit originates from activation and proliferation of melanin producing melanocytes of the nail matrix. Injury or trauma may be a factor, accounting for the greater incidence in the big toe and thumb (75–90% of cases).
Using a simple experiment, you can test for clubbing by doing the the Schamroth window test - or window gap test. Press your thumb nails or index finger together, and see if there is a small diamond shaped window between them.
Years or even decades may pass before they cause noticeable symptoms. During this time, the cancer may go undetected. Cancer may also go undetected because of factors such as an individual's overall health and medical conditions that may cause symptoms similar to cancer.
People can have very chesty coughs, or they can have very subtle tickly coughs, like a constant clearing of your throat. A cough that is caused by lung cancer can be both wet and dry. It is more about the length of time you have the cough, rather than the type of cough you have.
Nails affected by yellow nail syndrome might lack a cuticle and detach from the nail bed in places. Yellow nail syndrome may be a symptom of a lung disease, such as chronic bronchitis. Yellow nail syndrome also can be related to swelling of the hands, arms, feet and legs — a condition called lymphedema.
Koilonychia is indented nails. Instead of growing straight, your nails look concave, like spoons. In many people, koilonychia is a sign of iron deficiency. Usually, you can get rid of spoon nails by treating the underlying cause.
Changes in the shape of your fingers and fingernails
Some people have swollen fingers and nails (finger clubbing). This is more common in non small cell lung cancer.
Curved nails going outward is called spooning. The curve can be deep enough to hold a drop of water. It may indicate anemia, hypothyroidism, problems with blood circulation, a liver disorder, or lupus. Split, cracked, or brittle nails may be due to thyroid disease, psoriasis, frequent hand washing, or medications.
2 Nail changes in vitamin B12 deficiency present as hyperpigmentation of nails like bluish discoloration of nails, blue-black pigmentation with dark longitudinal streaks, and longitudinal and reticulate darkened streaks. The nail pigmentation associated with B12 deficiency is more frequent in patients with dark skin.
Brittle nail syndrome, onychomycosis, paronychia, nail psoriasis, longitudinal melanonychia, Beau's lines, onychomadesis and retronychia are common nail disorders seen in clinical practice.