Spotting Skin Cancers May Be as Easy as A-B-C-D

Sunshine season is here, and your epidermis is showing!

As you slip into those shorts and tanks or tees, are you really ready for fun in the sun? Are you prepared to protect your skin from dermatological cancers?

Do you know the ABCDs of skin cancer? My dermatologist, a leggy blonde with flawless skin, outlined these for me recently. I tried to pack the mnemonic device into my brain, as I sat on the paper-lined exam table in a paper dress.

Before I muscled up the wherewithal to make an appointment for the full-body skin check, I did not know the difference between a carcinoma, a melanoma or a sarcoma. Now I could write the proverbial book on it.

Never a devoted sun worshiper, I have always enjoyed outdoor activities. I love gardening, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, water skiing and more. What's more, I have slathered on sunscreen lotions devotedly.

But I still developed skin cancer. I have a four-inch scar to prove it. If I had understood the signs to spot, perhaps I might have sought out Barbie the spotless skin doctor much sooner.


Here's how to tell when a mole is not just a mole.

Really, this is as easy as A-B-C-D. If you find a dot or spot on your skin, where you have never had one before, go through these steps to determine whether professional medical care may be needed to prevent skin cancer complications.


A. Asymmetry

Is the spot, bump or skin lump irregularly shaped? Grab a fine-point washable marker, and draw a line through the center of it. Do both sides match? If not, you should certainly show the skin area to a dermatologist.


B. Border

Does the curious skin spot have irregular borders? Scallopy, ragged or poorly defined edges on a mole or skin growth often signal a potential skin cancer alert.


C. Color

Does a variety of tones or tints appear in the newly discovered growth? Normal moles, freckles and age spots are uniform in color. Blotchy ones may be pre-cancerous or even malignant.


D. Diameter

Has the odd area grown to at least five millimeters in diameter? If the spot has grown or changed, a skin doctor needs to see it.

The most important consideration with skin cancers is to catch them while they are still localized, or restricted to their original spots. Once cancer cells metastasize, or spread, additional complications may arise.

Go ahead, and show off your skin. Just protect it, and keep an eye out for changes. At least annually, visit a dermatologist for a full-body skin check. The paper gowns may not be fashionable or comfortable, but you might just save your own skin in the process.



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