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How To Spot Melanoma
Since early detection greatly improves one's chances of surviving melanoma, you should examine your skin every six to eight weeks. The best time to do this is after a bath or shower, standing in front of a full-length mirror. Use a hand-held mirror to help you view areas that are difficult to see. Examine all moles or markings and look for any changes in the number, size, shape or color of these markings.

What To Look For
Melanoma can appear suddenly as a new mole or it can develop slowly in or near an existing mole. In men, melanomas are often found on the torso or the head and neck area. In women, melanoma often develops on the lower legs as well as on the torso.

The ABCDs of Melanoma
The simple ABCD approach is a useful guide to help you identify moles you should show your doctor.

A = Asymmetry: Melanoma lesions are typically irregular in shape (asymmetrical); benign (noncancerous) moles are typically round (symmetrical). B = Border: Melanoma lesions often have irregular borders (i.e., ragged or notched edges); benign moles have smooth, even borders. C = Colors: Melanoma lesions often contain many shades of brown or black; benign moles are usually a single shade of brown. D = Diameter: Melanoma lesions are often more than 1/4 inch or six millimeters in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser); benign moles are usually less than 1/4 inch or six millimeters in diameter.

Some melanomas may be other colors, including brown, pink, and even white. While some melanomas develop slowly, any sudden and rapid change in the size, shape, or color of a mole or spot on the skin should prompt you to seek medical attention immediately.

Early detection and treatment greatly improve the chance for surviving this disease. Patients with metastatic melanoma -- where the disease has spread to other, more distant parts of the body -- have a poorer chance of recovery. The longer you wait to have a mole examined, the greater the chance a potential melanoma may become metastatic.

Get Your Doctor Involved
If you notice an odd-looking mole or marking, contact your doctor as soon as possible. He or she will take a complete medical history and give you a physical examination. If your doctor also thinks the mole or marking looks unusual, a procedure known as a biopsy will be performed.

To perform the biopsy, a local anesthetic will be injected under the skin to numb the area. The entire mole, or a small sample of the mole, will be removed and examined in a laboratory to determine if the mole is cancerous.

Treatment Is Available
Therapies for malignant melanoma include surgical excision of the melanoma, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and biological therapy, using interferons. Methods of treatment depend on the status of the disease or its clinical stage. When the melanoma has spread to internal organs, a combination of treatments can be used, often surgery coupled with radiation therapy.

This information is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of your physician. Consult your doctor regularly about matters concerning your health, particularly regarding symptoms that require diagnosis or immediate medical attention.

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