Self-exams are key to catching skin cancer early

When detected early, melanoma and other skin cancers can be treated and often controlled -- which is why health experts urge people to regularly examine their skin.

But it's vital to know what to look for. Most melanomas, for instance, have a black or blue-black area.

According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the best time to do a skin self-exam is after a shower or bath. You should check your skin in a well-lighted room, using a full-length mirror and a hand-held mirror. Its best to begin by learning where your birthmarks, moles and blemishes are and what they usually look and feel like. Then, check for anything new, such as:

• A new mole that looks abnormal
• A change in the size, shape, color or texture of a mole
• A sore that isn't healing

Thinking of ABCD might help you remember what to look for:

• Asymmetry: The shape of one half doesn't match the other.
• Border : The edges are often ragged, notched, blurred or irregular in outline, and the pigment might spread into the surrounding skin.
• Color: The color is uneven. Shades of black, brown and tan may be present, but areas of white, grey, red, pink or blue also might be visible.
• Diameter: There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas are usually larger than the eraser of a pencil (1/4 inch or 5 millimeters).

However, the appearance of melanomas can vary greatly. Many show all of the ABCD features. Others might show changes or abnormalities in only one or two of the ABCD features.

Melanomas in an early stage are often detected by noting that an existing mole changes slightly -- when, for example, a new black area forms. Newly formed fine scales and itching in a mole also are common symptoms of early melanoma. In more advanced melanoma, the texture of the mole often changes. It might become hard or lumpy, for instance.

Melanomas also may feel different from regular moles. More advanced tumors may itch, ooze or bleed. But melanomas usually do not cause pain.

How to check your skin for cancer

When doing a skin self-exam, it's important to check yourself from head to toe:

• Look at your face, neck, ears and scalp. Use a comb or a blow-dryer to move your hair so that you can see better. It might help to have someone else check through your hair because this can be hard to do yourself.

• Look at the front and back of your body in the mirror, then raise your arms and look at your left and right sides.

• Bend your elbows and look carefully at your fingernails, palms, forearms (including the undersides) and upper arms.

• Examine the back, front and sides of your legs. Also look between your buttocks and around your genital area.

• While sitting, closely examine your feet, including the toenails, the soles and the spaces between the toes.

By checking your skin regularly, you will become familiar with what is normal for you. It may be helpful to record the dates of your skin exams and to write notes about the way your skin looks. If your doctor has taken photos of your skin, comparing what you see during a self-exam to those photos should help you check for changes.

And if you do find anything unusual, see your doctor right away.