The most dangerous skin cancer, melanoma, can even be completely cured only if detected in time! It is the only carcinoma/cancer that can be seen with the naked eye! You can be the first to notice it if it appears on your skin! Self-examination is an excellent tool for early detection of melanoma!
What should you do?
When you look in the mirror, instead of focusing on pores, wrinkles, or your stomach, carefully examine your moles! Perform a self-examination once a month.
To help you remember, link it to something that happens once a month, like the Full Moon! Check all parts of the body, including areas not exposed to the sun. Start from the face, behind the ears, under the hair, the neck — use an additional mirror to examine the back of your body or ask a close one for help. Continue with the torso, both hands, nails, legs, soles (both top and bottom), between the toes.
When assessing moles, use the ABCDE rule:
- A (Asymmetry) — when one half of the mole is different from the other.
- B (Border) — if the edges are jagged, uneven, or unclear.
- C (Color) — more than one color, not just brown, but also black, gray, pink, blue, or white.
- D (Diameter) — larger than 6 mm.
- E (Evolution) — any change in color, size, appearance of accompanying symptoms such as itching, stinging, bleeding.
- A mole that does not look like any other — the Ugly Duckling sign!
- A new mole that grows, or an existing mole that changes, loses color, itches, hurts, or bleeds.
- A dark, shiny, black mole, either among light brown moles or completely alone.
- A new mole in a high-risk region — legs in women and back in men.
Melanoma sometimes does not follow the rules. The most reliable method of detection is a dermoscopic examination!
Dermoscopy saves lives!
