Be Careful If You Get These Bruises: What They Can Really Mean A bruise can appear almost mysteriously. You wake up and notice a purple mark on your arm. You don’t remember bumping into anything. A few days later, another one appears on your leg. Then you see a frightening headline online: **“BE CAREFUL! If you get these bruises on your body, it means you have cancer.”** It’s easy to become alarmed. But while unusual bruising can sometimes be a sign that something needs medical attention, **a bruise does not automatically mean that you have cancer**. Bruising is extremely common. Minor injuries can break tiny blood vessels beneath the skin, allowing blood to leak into surrounding tissue. The result is the familiar blue, purple, red, or yellowish mark that gradually disappears as the body reabsorbs the blood. Easy bruising can also become more common with age. The important question isn’t simply, “Do I have bruises?”