Tips for Self Examination for Skin Cancer

Updated Tips for Self Examination for Skin Cancer

There is a way to remember what to look for when you are giving yourself a self examination for malignant melanoma. They are the "ABCD’s" and recently and "E "has been added. The letters stand for

Asymmetry - when one half of the growth has a different shape than the other.

Border irregular - when the growth has uneven edges

Color varied – the growth has more than one color. Melanomas may be black, shades of brown and tan, and even have specks of red, white, blue or/and black.

Diameter - a size, bigger than the diameter of a pencil eraser.

Enlargement -recently doctors haves have recognized the importance of moles that are new on getting larger in predicting high-risk lesions. Thus they have now added E to the criteria.

Remember to keep out of the sun, wear a hat and sunscreen when you go out.