How to Do A Self-Check for Skin Cancer

By Melinda Wenner Moyer, Women's Health

It can be lifesaving—literally.

In our September 2017 issue, we published a special report about "dermatology deserts," or areas where it's impossible for women to see a dermatologist in a timely manner—even if they suspect they may have skin cancer or, in some cases, even after they've been diagnosed with melanoma and need to have it removed. Check out our investigation, then learn how to do a self-check for skin cancer:
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One in five Americans will develop skin cancer, but the earlier you spot it, the easier it is to cure. And it pays to be vigilant: 44 percent of melanomas are discovered by patients themselves. Do this quick self-check each month.

1. Inspect your naked body in front of a full-length mirror.

Don’t forget the backs of your neck, legs, and feet, and the space between your toes. (Melanoma usually develops on parts of the body that have been exposed to the sun, but occasionally it can arise in places that are typically covered.)

2. Look for a mole that has any of the ABCDEs of skin cancer:

• It is Asymmetrical.
• It has an irregular Border.
• It’s made up of different Colors.
• It has a Diameter larger than a pencil eraser.
• It’s Evolving or changing in size, shape, or color, or it’s painful, itchy, or bleeds.

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3. See a mole that has any of these? Call a derm ASAP.

Yes, “they get thousands of calls and the majority are nothing,” says Alexa Kimball, M.D., a dermatologist at Harvard Medical School. “That said, no one—no one—wants to miss the one that is something.”

 

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