Download What is skin cancer?

What Is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. It occurs when unrepaired DNA damage to skin
cells (most often caused by ultraviolet radiation from sunshine or tanning beds) triggers mutations, or genetic
defects, that lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors.
What You Need to Know:
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers
in over two million people are diagnosed annually.
 Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast,
prostate, lung and colon.
 One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
Throughout the year, you should examine your skin head to toe once a month, looking for any suspicious
lesions. Self-exams can help you identify potential skin cancers early, when they can almost always be
completely cured.
For a successful self-exam, you obviously need to know what you're looking for. As a general rule take note of
any new moles or growths, and any existing growths that begin to grow or change significantly in any other
way. Lesions that change, itch, bleed, or don't heal are also alarm signals. Physicians have developed specific
strategies for early recognition of the disease using the ABCDEs.

The ABCDEs of Melanoma
A - Asymmetry
If you draw a line through this mole, the two halves will not match.
B - Border
The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven. The edges may be scalloped or notched.
C - Color
Having a variety of colors is another warning signal. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could
appear. A melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color.
D - Diameter
Melanomas usually are larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on your pencil (1/4 inch or 6 mm), but they
may sometimes be smaller when first detected.
E - Evolving
Any change — in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait.