Many people picture skin cancer as a dark, irregular mole. This article tests that picture against the warning signs one independent source lists for basal cell carcinoma.
An open sore that does not heal
The Skin Cancer Foundation lists this among the warning signs: "An open sore that does not heal , and may bleed, ooze or crust." That description is about a sore, and it does not describe a mole.
The Skin Cancer Foundation's page on basal cell carcinoma is where those signs sit in context.
A shiny bump in more than one colour
A second sign on the Skin Cancer Foundation's list reads: "A shiny bump or nodule that is pearly or clear, pink, red or white." The list of colours is wide, so a bump does not need to look dark to belong on it.
Comparing a spot with photographs
The Skin Cancer Foundation's skin cancer pictures show what the listed signs can look like on real skin. Looking at them tells you what to watch for, not what your own spot is.
Who decides whether a sore or bump is basal cell carcinoma
The Cleveland Clinic has an overview of skin cancer symptoms and causes for further reading. Neither list can tell you whether a particular sore or bump is basal cell carcinoma.
If you have a sore that is not healing or a bump that matches either description, show it to a clinician. That judgment is theirs to make.