Spotting Skin Cancer Early: A, B, C, D, E Warning Signs

A Dermatologist’s Take: What to Watch For: 
  Dermatologists have long known that it’s much easier to manage skin cancer if it’s caught early. Sun protection and sun avoidance are wise moves, with a ‘Broad-spectrum” Sunscreen with an SPF or Sun Protection Factor of 30 or higher, especially between February and November. But how do you know whether a mole or growth is significant, whether it’s at risk of developing into skin cancer, and whether it needs to come to the attention of a Dermatologist?
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The person in the photo below has a melanoma - called a lentigo maligna melanoma - on his forehead. 


This is a closeup view of that lesion:

    The three main types of skin cancer are Basal Cell Skin Cancer, Squamous Cell Skin Cancer, and Melanoma. These can arise from sun damaged skin, or from preexisting growths or moles. The warning signs are the A, B, C, D, E’s. These are rules of thumb of growths that mean a lesion or growth needs to come to the attention of a Dermatologist:
A, which stands for Asymmetry: one half doesn’t match the other half.
B, for a Border of the lesion which is irregular or jagged.
C, for a Color that’s out of step with a person’s other moles, or a changing color, or maybe different hues of color, such as shades of black, gray, brown, or even red.
D, for a Diameter (distance across) the lesion which is enlarging, particularly if it gets larger than the head of a number 2 pencil.
E, for Evolving, or changing.

The Skin Cancer in the photo below shows an irregular Border with different shades of Color. That's two of the five warning signs for Skin Cancer. 

  
  The person below has some significant moles, which would merit a close inspection. 


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The above photos are used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology, AAD.org. 
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  Your risk of Skin Cancer is definitely higher is you have blond or red hair, are Norther European-descended, or have a history of working or playing in the sun, especially if you have a prior history of at least one blistering sunburn. But remember that many cases of Skin Cancer can arise in people with brown or black hair, or people who avoid the sun, so we’re all at risk, even darkly-pigmented African-Americans.

How can I get more information, or a chance to look at pictures of atypical moles or even of melanoma?
  A best first move is a consultation with a Board-certified Dermatologist for a skin check-up, an especially high priority for people with skin lesions that could be cancerous. Check out “Understanding the Melanoma Crisis: Scarlet’s Story,”a 2018 movie sponsored by my Dermatology practice on the Youtube.

  For good photos of what to watch for, go to the Skin Cancer Foundation website, Skincancer.org, because Everyone is at Risk of Skin Cancer: 


    So the moral of the story is: “See Spot. See Spot Change. See a Dermatologist.”  My own Dermatology practice is with Rheumatology and Dermatology, 8143 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova TN 38018 (1-901-753-0168) Or to find a Dermatologist in your part of the country, go to the American Society of Dermatology website, AAD.org, and plug your zip code into the “Find a Dermatologist” tab.
George Woodbury Jr. M.D.  
(02/28/2021)