Skin Cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
Your risk of getting skin cancer is real. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
You can prevent and detect skin cancer. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.
These are the signs to look for if you are concerned about skin cancer. Click on image for larger view.
- ASSYMETRIC
- One half unlike the other half.
- BORDER
- Irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border.
- COLOR
- Varied from one area to another; shades of tan and brown, black; sometimes white, red or blue.
- DIAMETER
- While melanomas are usually greater than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, they can be smaller. See ruler below for a guide.
- EVOLVING
- A mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.
- Checking your skin means taking note of all the spots on your body, from moles to freckles to age spots. Remember, some moles are black, red, or even blue. If you see any kind of change on one of your spots, you should have a dermatologist check it out. Individuals with a history of melanoma should have a full-body exam at least annually and perform monthly self-exams for new and changing moles.