Signs and 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 “ABCD” 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).
Melanomas can vary greatly in how
they look. Many show all of the ABCD
features. However, some may show
changes or abnormalities in only one or two of the ABCD 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 often part of a routine checkup by a
health care provider. People also can
check their own skin for new growths or other changes. (The
“How To Do a Skin Self-Exam” section
has a simple guide on how to do this skin self-exam.) Changes in the skin,
such as a change in a mole, should be reported to the health care provider
right away. The person may be referred to a
dermatologist,
a doctor who specializes in diseases of the skin.
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 check their skin regularly and have
regular skin exams by a health care provider.
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