By far the more worrisome type of skin cancer is a “melanoma.” These are rare, but they are extremely dangerous. You should see your doctor as soon as possible if you think you may have a melanoma.
Melanomas are often very dark or black in colour. They appear irregular in shape. They can start as an odd looking mole and quickly progress.
It is helpful to know the “ABCDE’s” of melanoma’s, so that you know what to look out for:
A = “Asymmetry”: If you draw a line through the centre of the spot, does the one half match the other? Are they mirror images, or completely different? Benign moles are often symmetrical, whereas melanomas are not.
B = “Border”: A benign mole has a smooth, obvious border around the outside of it. A melanoma’s border is often irregular or blurred.
C = “Colour”: Most benign moles are all one uniform colour – often a single shade of brown. Melanoma’s are often very dark, or even black. They may have several different shades of brown, tan or black within them. A melanoma may also become red, white or blue.
D = “Diameter”: This refers to the size of the skin spot. If the spot is larger than 1/4 inch (or 6mm), it may be more likely to be worrisome.
E = “Evolution”: Benign moles tend to look the same over time. Melanoma tend to change or “evolve” with time, often quickly. If your skin spot is changing over time (in terms of size, shape, colour, raised, scabbing, etc), then see your doctor.
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