May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Don’t tan, don’t use tanning beds, wear sunscreen when outdoors and see your doctor right away when you see any suspicious moles. Get skin cancer screenings.
These type of screenings are like vehicle tracking. A dermatologist will check your body over for any unusual lesions. It takes about 2-3 minutes and your whole body including your scalp will be checked. Your doctor will determine how often you need screenings depending on your age, sun exposure, family history of skin cancers, your own history of skin cancers, etc.
When you see a mole, remember ABCD:
A = Asymmetry—One side of the lesion does not look like the other.
B = Border irregularity—Margins may be notched or irregular.
C = Color—Melanomas are often a mixture of black, tan, brown, blue, red, or white.
D = Cancerous lesions are usually larger than 6 mm across (about the size of a pencil eraser), but any change in size may be significant.
