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The ABCDE of Skin Cancer Diagnosis At Claris Group

Wednesday 28 February 2018, 4:04PM

By Beckie Wright

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Claris Group stress that it’s important to check yourself every four months and book a skin check with a skin specialist each year. This will mean you’re more likely to spot signs of sun damage before they develop into something more serious. You’ll also get a better understanding of what your normal skin looks like, so anything new or changing will be more obvious.

That mole on your back could be just that – a harmless mole, and nothing to worry about. Or it could be a sign that you’ve developed a skin cancer. The ABCDE method will help you tell which is which. If you see more than one of these signs in your mole, you should make an appointment with your dermatologist right away.

A – Asymmetry

Benign ‘normal’ moles will generally be symmetrical – a nice round circle or oval, for example. A skin cancer lesion may be odd-shaped or asymmetrical.

B – Border

Look at the border of your mole – is it jagged, irregular, or without a hard edge? Usually, benign moles have smooth, even edges.

C – Colour

The colour of your mole is a sign too. Benign moles tend to have a single colour, while a lesion may have more than one colour or shade.

D – Diameter

Skin cancer lesions are often bigger than most moles – anything over six millimeters diameter could be a sign of skin cancer.

E – Evolution

How your mole changes or evolves over time is worth noticing – it could be the most important factor in telling the difference between a mole, which won’t change much at all, and skin cancer, which will grow or change colour very rapidly.

If you’ve spotted a suspicious mole, Claris Group urge you to get in touch with them to discuss diagnosis and treatment options.

To find out more about skin cancer clinics, skin specialists and skin checks please go to http://claris.co.nz .