Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Skin Cancer, Melanoma - Symptoms
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When To Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
- Credits
Early signs
The most important warning sign for
melanoma is any change in size,
shape, or color of a
mole or other skin growth, such as a birthmark. Watch
for changes that occur over a period of weeks to a month. Use the
ABCDE rule 
to evaluate skin changes, and call your health professional if you
have any of the following changes.
- A is for
asymmetry . One half of the mole or skin growth doesn't
match the other half.
- B is for
border irregularity . The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.
- C
is for color . The pigmentation is not uniform. Shades of tan,
brown, and black are present. Dashes of red, white, and blue add to the mottled
appearance. Changes in color distribution, especially the spread of color from
the edge of a mole into the surrounding skin, also are an early sign of
melanoma.
- D is for
diameter . The mole or skin growth is larger than
6 mm (0.25 in.) or about the
size of a pencil eraser. Any growth of a mole should be of
concern.
- E is for evolution . There is a change in the size, shape,
symptoms (such as itching or tenderness), surface (especially bleeding), or
color of a mole.
Signs of melanoma in an existing mole include changes in:
- Elevation, such as thickening or raising of a previously flat mole.
- Surface, such as scaling, erosion, oozing, bleeding, or crusting.
- Surrounding skin, such as redness, swelling, or small new patches of color around a larger lesion (satellite pigmentations).
- Sensation, such as itching, tingling, or burning.
- Consistency, such as softening or small pieces that break off easily (friability).
Melanoma can develop in an existing mole or other mark on the skin, but it often develops in unmarked skin. Although melanoma can grow anywhere on the body, it often occurs on the upper back of men and women and on the legs in women. Less often, it can grow on the soles, palms, nail beds, or mucous membranes that line body cavities such as the mouth, the rectum, and the vagina. On older people, the face is the most common place for melanoma to grow. And in older men, the most common sites are the neck, scalp, and ears.1
Many other skin conditions (such as seborrheic keratosis, warts, and basal cell cancer) have features similar to those of melanoma.
Later symptoms
Later signs of melanoma include:
- A break in the skin or bleeding from a mole or other colored skin lesion.
- Pain in a mole or lesion.
Symptoms of metastatic melanoma may be vague and include:
- Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the armpit or groin.
- A colorless lump or thickening under the skin.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Gray skin (melanosis).
- Ongoing (chronic) cough.
- Headaches.
- Seizures.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: February 8, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
