What does skin melanoma cancer look like?

Symptoms and traits to look out for include: raised or flat shape, often with irregular shape and borders, sometimes on an existing or new mole. brown, black, tan, red, blue, and even white, often a darker shade of a person’s normal skin tone. slow changes, often over the course of months or years.

What does a skin cancer mole look like?

Melanoma borders tend to be uneven and may have scalloped or notched edges, while common moles tend to have smoother, more even borders. C is for Color. Multiple colors are a warning sign. While benign moles are usually a single shade of brown, a melanoma may have different shades of brown, tan or black.

What does a melanoma look like in early stages?

The first sign of melanoma is often a mole that changes size, shape or color. This melanoma shows color variations and an irregular border, both of which are melanoma warning signs. Melanomas can develop anywhere on your body.

What are the signs of melanoma on the skin?

The biggest clue that a spot on the skin might be melanoma is if it’s changing. A cancerous mole will change in size, shape, or color over time. Dermatologists use the ABCDE rule to help people spot the signs of melanoma on their skin:

What are the dangers of melanoma?

The dangers of melanoma. Melanoma is one of the least common forms of skin cancer, but it’s also the deadliest type because of its potential to spread to other parts of the body. Each year, about 91,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma, and more than 9,000 people die from it. Rates of melanoma are on the rise, especially among children and teens.

Can a mole turn into melanoma?

But moles that are larger and have an abnormal shape or color can sometimes turn into melanoma. Melanoma is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers, but it is far more dangerous. Like this one, melanomas may have different colors and jagged borders. They may not be round, and one half might not look like the other half.

What are the abcdes of melanoma?

Most melanomas have many or all of the traits known as The ABCDEs of Melanoma, including “C” for color variations. These variations are caused by changes in the melanin, the normally dark brown to black pigment that occurs in hair, skin and the iris of the eye to give them their color.