16/10/2022
"ABCDE" rule
Changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole are often the first warning signs of melanoma. These changes can occur in an existing mole, or melanoma may appear as a new or unusual-looking mole. The "ABCDE" rule is helpful in remembering the warning signs of melanoma:
Asymmetry. The shape of one-half of the mole does not match the other.
Border. The edges are ragged, notched, uneven, or blurred.
Color. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, gray, red, or blue may also be seen.
Diameter. The diameter is usually larger than 6 millimeters (mm) or has grown in size. This is about 1/4 inch in diameter, about the size of a pencil eraser. Melanoma may be smaller when it is first detected.
Evolving. The mole has been changing in size, shape, color, or appearance, or it is growing in an area of previously normal skin. Also, when melanoma develops in an existing mole, the texture of the mole may change and become hard or lumpy. The skin lesion may feel different and may itch, ooze, or bleed, but a melanoma skin lesion usually does not cause pain.
