Dermatologist Recommends Full Body Check For Detecting Skin Cancer

Detecting Skin Cancer

Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of an existing mole. Most melanomas have a black or blue-black area. Melanoma also may appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or “ugly-looking.”

It is important to know the difference between melanoma and a harmless mole. A normal mole is most often an evenly colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin. It can be either flat or raised. It can be round or oval. Moles are usually less than 1/4 inch in diameter, or about the width of a pencil eraser. Moles can be present at birth or they can appear later. Several moles can appear at the same time.

Once a mole has developed, it will usually stay the same size, shape, and color for many years. Moles may fade away in older people.  Most people have moles, and almost all moles are harmless. But it is important to spot changes in a mole-- such as its size, shape, or color-- that may signal a developing melanoma.  You should see your doctor if you have a mole or growth that worries you.

The ABCD Rule can also help tell a normal mole from a melanoma:

A: asymmetry – one half of the mole does not match the other half

B: border irregularity – the edges of the mole are ragged or notched

C: color – the color of the mole is not the same all over. There may be shades of tan, brown, or black, and sometimes patches of red, blue, or white

D: diameter – the mole is wider than about 1/4 inch (although doctors are now finding more melanomas that are smaller)

Other important signs of melanoma include changes in size, shape, or color of a mole. Some melanomas do not fit the descriptions above, and it may be hard to tell if the mole is normal or not, so you should show your doctor anything that you are unsure of.

Skin cancers often don’t cause symptoms until they become quite large. Then they can bleed or even hurt.  Basal cell carcinomas often appear as flat, firm, pale areas or as small, raised, pink or red, translucent, shiny, waxy areas that may bleed after minor injury. You might see one or more irregular blood vessels, a depressed area in the center, or blue, brown, or black areas. Large ones may have oozing or crusted spots.  Squamous cell carcinoma may appear as growing lumps, often with a rough surface, or as flat, reddish patches that grow slowly.

If you have a question or concern about something on your skin, see your doctor. Do not use pictures of other moles to try to diagnose it yourself. Pictures are useful examples, but they cannot take the place of a doctor’s examination.