Wearing sunscreen is a great first step in protecting yourself from skin cancer—but it’s not the only one. A crucial habit to adopt is performing a monthly head-to-toe skin self-exam. These regular checkups can help you learn how to check for skin cancer early, when skin cancer is most treatable.
The key to a successful self-exam is knowing what to look for and how to check for skin cancer. Skin cancers—including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma—often begin as new moles or unusual growths. Pay close attention to existing spots that change in size, shape, or color. Any lesion that itches, bleeds, or doesn’t heal should also raise concern.
To make self-exams easier and more effective, Dr. Doppelt and his team recommend remembering the ABCDEs of melanoma:
A: Asymmetry
One half doesn’t match the other. The healthy, benign moles and freckles you see during your exam are mostly symmetrical. That means that if you draw a line down the middle, both halves are similar in size and shape. If you spot a mole that has irregular halves, this could be an early sign of melanoma.
B: Borders
In addition to its symmetrical shape, a healthy mole has even, smooth and clearly defined borders. Melanomas, on the other hand, have uneven lines. The edges of the lesion may be jagged or otherwise irregular, or can look like a mole shifted leaving a trail behind. Any unusually shaped mole or spot should be examined by a dermatologist.
C: Color
Healthy moles and freckles are usually all one color – most commonly a single shade of brown depending on your skin tone. Malignant spots and skin cancers can be splotchy in color. Cancers can come in a rainbow of hues, including varying shades of brown, black, tan, red, white or even blue.
D: Diameter
When performing your self-exam, keep your eyes peeled for any moles or spots bigger than a pencil eraser in diameter. Most moles are usually a few millimeters at most in size; larger moles have a greater chance of being malignant. Also look out for moles that are growing or changing in diameter, as this growth can signal unhealthy changes, too.
E: Evolving
For the most part, healthy moles stay the same over time. They don’t grow, move or change in color. In fact, any changes, including those in size, color, shape or height, should be reported to your doctor. Moles that develop new symptoms, including itching, bleeding or crusting over, can also signify dangerous changes.
In addition to monthly self-checks with the ABCDEs in mind, it’s important to make sure your doctor performs a thorough skin examination to check for potential changes at least annually. Talk to Dr. Doppelt or a member of his staff today to make sure you’re doing everything you can to prevent cancer and catch changes early.
