I heard that black lines on nails can turn into cancer. Is that true?

Netizen question: I found a black vertical line on my father’s fingernail.

I read some information online and your article and I think it might be a nail matrix nevus, and I saw that this kind of nevus can become cancerous. I want to know if this is true and whether I need to go to the hospital for surgery to remove it?

In terms of symptoms, the most common manifestation of nail matrix nevus is indeed black lines on the nails.

But don't panic. The black lines on the nails do not mean that it is a nail matrix nevus. Trauma, onychomycosis, nail matrix freckles, nail matrix nevus, malignant melanoma, etc. may all cause this condition.

Nail matrix nevus is more common in children and adolescents, and most patients are under 20 years old. It often occurs on the fingernails and a few on the toenails. The skin around the affected nails generally does not show ulceration, bleeding, redness, swelling, pain and other discomforts.

According to your description, your father has longitudinal black nails, which may be caused by nail matrix freckles, nail matrix nevus, malignant melanoma, etc.

So I suggest you take your father to the hospital for a check-up to find out the cause of the disease.

If it is indeed a nail matrix nevus, don't be too nervous, because not all nail matrix nevi will become cancerous, and some are benign lesions. A pathological examination can clarify the specific situation.

If it is benign, you need to avoid external trauma, try not to hit or crush it, reduce the stimulation to it, and pay more attention to its changes on daily basis.

Once you find that the nail matrix nevus is "restless", such as becoming asymmetrical in shape, widening for no reason, or uneven in color, it may be a signal of melanoma and requires timely surgical treatment.