Symptoms of melanoma

This usually looks like a dark area or an abnormal new mole. Other melanomas develop from a mole or freckle that you already have.

The ABCDE list

It can be difficult to tell the difference between a melanoma and a normal mole. The following checklist will give you an idea of what to look out for: 

• Asymmetry – Melanomas are likely to be irregular or asymmetrical. Ordinary moles are usually symmetrical (both halves look the same).
• Border – Melanomas are more likely to have an irregular border with jagged edges. Ordinary moles usually have a well-defined, regular border.
• Colour – Melanomas tend to be more than one colour. They may have different shades, such as brown mixed with a black, red, pink, white or bluish tint. Normal moles tend to be one shade of brown.
• Diameter (width) – Melanomas are usually more than 7mm in diameter. Moles are normally no bigger than the blunt end of a pencil (about 6mm across).
• Evolving (changing) – Look for changes in the size, shape or colour of a mole.

See your doctor straight away if you have:

• any of the ABCDE signs, such as a mole that’s changing in size, shape or colour
• any unusual marks on the skin that last for more than a few weeks
• a mole that tingles or itches
• crusting or bleeding of a mole
• something growing under a nail or a new dark coloured stripe along part of the nail.

A good time to check your skin is after a bath or shower. Make sure you have plenty of light. Use a full length mirror and a small hand-held mirror for areas that are hard to reach. This will get easier with time, as you become more familiar with your skin and what your moles normally look like. You can ask your partner, a relative or friend to look at your back, neck and parts of your skin that are hard to see.

Looking out for these signs is very important as melanoma can usually be cured if it’s found at an early stage.

There are more symptoms of advanced melanoma|.