Melanoma Cheat Sheet

In the United States, more than 29,000 women are diagnosed with melanoma annually.  Risk factors and warning signs may include:

Risk Factors:

  • I have fair skin and light eyes.
  • I have many freckles.
  • I've had severe, blistering sunburns as a child or adult.
  • I have a family history of melanoma.
  • I've had melanoma in the past.
  • I have non-cancerous, unusual looking moles (called dysplastic nevi).
  • I have more than 50 moles.
  • I have an impaired immune system.
  • I've been exposed to UV radiation from tanning salons and tanning beds.
  • I often go outside between the hours of 10am-4pm without sun screen.

Warning Signs:

  • A growth that increases in size and looks pearly, translucent, tan, brown, black, red, pink, or multicolored.  For women, often on the lower legs, between the shoulders and hips.
  • A mole that changes in color or in texture, takes on an uneven shape, gets larger, or is bigger than a pencil eraser
  • A spot or growth that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab, fade, or bleed
  • An open sore that lasts for more than 4 weeks, or heals and then reopens
  • A scaly or crusty bump that is dry, rough, and pointed (sticks out like a horn) and may sometimes cause a pricking or tender feeling in the skin

Self-examine your skin regularly and know the pattern of moles, spots, freckles, and other marks on your skin so you can notice any changes.  If you detect any changes in your skin or new growths, make an appointment with your doctor right away and discuss whether a biopsy is appropriate for you. 

Contact The National Women’s Health Information Center for information on health insurance coverage or free clinics. Visit www.womenshealth.gov or call 1-800-994-9662.

Remember, early detection equals survival!

This information is provided by theAmerican Cancer Society and The Skin Cancer Foundation.

This information was reviewed by the Cancer Schmancer Medical Advisory Board.

Last reviewed August 2010.

Comments

Submitted by Guest on February 15, 2011 - 12:09.

My dad was recently diagnoised as having stage 4 Melanoma cancer. He first started with having blood in his stool and anemia. He was being treated about a year for the anemia and was given with just iron supplements and blood transfusions on and off, but he was told that they might never find the cause of the bleeding Two months ago, he woke up and was acting very confused and disoriented. We took him to the hospital and they did a head scan and found he had a cyst on the brain and a lesion. They also found a spot on the lung which the samples came back as inconclusive. He was sent to rehab and after a month was put back in the hospital again for bleeding. A doctor at the hospital finally said "Lets give him this little pill camera that will take pictures of what is going on in the inside." They did that and the doctor saw something in the intestines that he thought was a mass. He did surgery the next day and found 15 tumors in his intestines. It came back as Melanoma stage 4. It's unbelievable that none of the other doctors picked up on it or suggested the camera. The condition he in now, we don't know if chemo is an option.

Submitted by Amanda Jorgensen on September 11, 2012 - 09:31.

I was diagnosed a month before my wedding with Melanoma. It was a Tuesday afternoon and I was showing homes to some clients when I got the call. My heart literally stopped when the dermatologist told me I had an appointment at The Huntsman Cancer Institute. I was able to do treatment for two months M-F and then allow two months for my ear and immune system to breathe before my March surgery.

Having Melanoma has changed my life completely! I have to meet with my oncologist tomorrow to check on a new mole on my back that has turned pink :/