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Melanoma Signs & Symptoms
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.”
If you have a question or concern about something on your skin, see your doctor. Do not use the following pictures to try to diagnose it yourself. Pictures are useful examples, but they cannot take the place of a doctor’s examination
Thinking of "ABCDE" can help you remember what to watch for:
• Asymmetry - The shape of one half does not match the other.
• Border - The edges are often ragged, notched, blurred, or irregular in outline; the pigment may spread into the surrounding skin.
• Color - The color is uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, grey, red, pink, or blue also may be seen.
• Diameter - There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas are usually larger than the eraser of a pencil (1/4 inch or 5 millimeters).
• Evolving - When a mole is evolving, see a doctor. Any change – in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait, or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting – is a warning sign.
Melanomas can vary greatly in how they look. Many show all of the ABCDE features. However, some may show changes or abnormalities in only one or two of the ABCDE features.
Melanomas in an early stage may be found when an existing mole changes slightly, for example, when a new black area forms. Newly formed fine scales and itching in a mole also are common symptoms of early melanoma. In more advanced melanoma, the texture of the mole may change. For example, it may become hard or lumpy. Melanomas may feel different from regular moles. More advanced tumors may itch, ooze, or bleed. But melanomas usually do not cause pain.
A skin examination is an important part of a routine checkup by a health care provider. People should also check their own skin for new growths or other changes. Changes in the skin, such as a change in a mole, should be reported to a health care provider, most likely a dermatologist, right away.
• “How To Do a Skin Self-Exam” in Suntego’s Sun Protection Information Center has a simple guide on how to do a skin self-exam.
Melanoma can be cured if it is diagnosed and treated when the tumor is thin and has not deeply invaded the skin. However, if a melanoma is not removed at its early stages, cancer cells may grow downward from the skin surface and invade healthy tissue. When a melanoma becomes thick and deep, the disease often spreads to other parts of the body and is difficult to control.
People who have had melanoma have a high risk of developing a new melanoma. People at risk for any reason should make sure to check their skin regularly and have regular skin exams by a health care provider.
Source:
National Cancer Institute
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