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Self Exam:  Proactive Approach to Skin Cancer Detection

Taking a proactive approach in monitoring your skin for potential skin cancers - especially if you are in a high risk group - is an essential step in complete sun safety habits. Descriptions of how to conduct a self-examination are readily available on the web, however, we thought we would post this essential information as a New Year's reminder to routinely check your skin.

Thanks to website SkinCancerNet for the following images.
Conducting the Skin Examination
To conduct a skin examination you will need: a full-length mirror, a hand-held mirror, privacy, pen or pencil and a mole map available for downloading at SkinCancerNet. Then follow these five easy steps.

Five Step Self Examination
• Stand in front of the mirror. Examine your body front and back, then on the right and left sides with your arms raised. Women should look under their breasts. (It helps to have a partner assist with the self-examination.)
•Next, bend your elbows and examine forearms, upper underarms and palms.
•Next, look at the back of your legs and feet. Look at the spaces between your toes and the soles of your feet. Remember, it's important to examine your whole body, not just the areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun. Skin cancer can occur anywhere.
•Examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand-held mirror. Part your hair to examine the entire scalp.
•Check your back and buttocks with the hand-held mirror.

The mole map helps you keep a record of current moles, blemishes and other marks for reference in future self-examinations. Fill it out and keep it with important documents.

What to Look For
Becoming familiar with the moles, blemishes and birthmarks on your skin will enable you to detect changes in them. Look for changes in size, color, shape and texture.

Specific warning signs include:
•A mole that is different from the rest. A mole that itches or bleeds or that changes in any way.
•A sore that never fully heals.
•Translucent growth with rolled edges.
•A brown or black streak beneath a nail.
•Cluster of slow-growing shiny pink or red lesions.
•Waxy feeling scar.
•Depressed lesion that feels hard to the touch.

If you find any suspicious lesions, immediately call your dermatologist and TELL him or her why you are calling. In some areas of the country, it takes months to get an appointment. Communicate your urgency. In most cases, skin cancer can be successfully treated, but left too long, they can result in death.

Finally, dermatologists have developed a simple set of rules describing suspicious lesions they call the ABCDEs of melanoma. The Skin Cancer Foundation posts these on their website along with pictures describing the skin condition.

Be proactive in your skin care. Routinely examine your skin. Be SunAWARE and Be Safe!