EARLY DETECTION = BETTER OUTCOMES
ABCDEs of skin cancer
Skin cancer, which includes basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, as well as melanoma, is the most common cancer diagnosis in the U.S. and is one of the most preventable cancers.
It’s important to check your skin for suspicious moles once a month and report anything unusual to your health care provider.
The ABCDE rule:
Asymmetry
One half of the mole doesn’t match the other
Border irregularity
The mole is uneven in shape with jagged, notched or blurred edges
Color
The mole is not uniform in color
Diameter
The mole has a diameter greater than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser)
Evolving
There’s any change in the size, shape, color or elevation or the mole, or you experience any new symptoms (such as bleeding, itching or crusting)
If you have darker skin tones
Skin cancer can be harder to identify on darker skin tones as compared to on light or fair skin tones. If you have darker skin, it’s a good idea to have your skin checks done by a health care provider, like a dermatologist, who is experienced in identifying skin cancer on all skin tones and knows what to look for.
Learn more about cancer in darker skin tonesMore on Skin Safety
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