ABC's of Skin Cancer

With the steady increase in incidence of malignant melanomas in the United States, early diagnosis and complete removal are critical for the containment of the malignancy. The "ABCDE" method of identification has been a useful tool in facilitating the diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

• Asymmetrical skin lesion.
  
  
• Border of the lesion is irregular.
  
  
• Color: melanomas usually have multiple colors.
  
  
• Diameter: moles greater than 6 mm are more likely to be melanomas than smaller moles.
  
  
• Enlarging: Enlarging or evolving

On the left side from top to bottom:
melanomas showing (A) Asymmetry, (B) a border that is uneven, ragged, or notched, (C) coloring of different shades of brown, black, or tan and (D) diameter that had changed in size. The normal moles on the right side do not have abnormal characteristics (no asymmetry, even border, even color, no change in diamiter).