SKIN HEALTH

Dr. Larry Bishop

Early Melanoma Detection is Key

Have you ever wished you could save someone’s life?  Be a hero that keeps someone close to you from dying?  Make a difference not only in the life you save, but also for generations to come? Well, if that’s something you’d like to do, read on.  I’m going to tell you how to do it.

America is undergoing a skin cancer epidemic. Rates are at all time highs, and the most deadly of skin cancers, malignant melanoma, is running rampant in our country.  Nationwide, one person in 70 is going to develop malignant melanoma, and the rates are even greater in populations with a high incidence of Caucasians with outdoor lifestyles who live relatively close to the equator. Think Australia. Think Brevard County here at home in Florida.

Learn to Recognize Melanoma

MELANOMA RATES are at all time highs, and the most deadly of skin cancers, malignant melanoma, is running rampant in our country. Nationwide, one person in 70 is going to develop malignant melanoma, and the rates are even greater in populations who live relatively close to the equator.

Given the distribution of melanoma among all the demographic sectors of our county, from the surfers, sailors, golfers and teachers; to the rich and poor and the in-betweens; it behooves all of us to learn how to recognize melanoma. Early recognition means survival, and late diagnosis often means disaster. The longer a melanoma is allowed to grow, the higher the likelihood that it will spread to other vital organs, leading to death.

So, you ask, how can one recognize a melanoma?  I’m going to give you five simple rules that will allow you to figure out whether your dark spot is indeed a melanoma or not.  These rules are not all-inclusive, but if used judiciously allow you to be equipped for early diagnosis and treatment. Find an early melanoma, save a life.  Save a life, and change the future.

Almost all of us know someone who has died of cancer of one sort or another.  Often, the cancer is internal and has a chance to spread before anyone even knows it is there.  The one surprising thing about melanoma, though, is that it nearly always begins on the skin, and it is almost always recognizable early in its development.

Think of all the people who die from melanoma each year.  Had someone recognized their melanoma early in its development, those people would have lived on, providing warmth and comfort to their families, and providing accumulated wisdom to future generations.   Had someone noticed their bad spot early enough, they could have changed the future.

Asymmetry

Five Deadly Characteristics, the ABCDS of Melanoma

Asymmetry: The first characteristic of melanomas is Asymmetry.  Since melanomas spread out into the surrounding skin in an irregular pattern, they are almost always asymmetrical.  Unlike normal moles, which are either round or oval, melanomas tend to be different from side to side.

Border

Border: The second distinguishing sign of a melanoma is an irregular or indistinct Border. Normal moles are sharply demarcated and either round or oval or nearly so.  When the dark spots assume an irregular border, this is a warning sign.  The melanoma at right had an irregular and somewhat indistinct  border which allowed it to be recognized as such.

Color

Color: The third defining attribute of a melanoma is a dark brown or black Color. Not all melanomas are dark brown or black, and some can even be indistinguishable from normal skin, but most are very dark, like the lesion at right.

Diameter

Diameter: The fourth quality that defines a melanoma is Diameter.  Honestly, this is the least reliable of all the characteristic, because I have found a few melanomas that were smaller than the size of the head of a pin, but the most commonly applied criteria for inclusion in the worrisome category is a size greater than 6 millimeters, which is the diameter of a pencil eraser. Pictured is an example of a large melanoma that had been ignored for years.

Smoothness

Smoothness and Similarity: The final earmark of melanomas is Smoothness and lack of Similarity to other lesions on the body.  Think smooth like a snake.  Melanomas are usually quite smooth in texture, as opposed to the normal maturity marks we find on our skin as we get older.  Melanomas are usually also quite different than other spots and marks on our skin.  For instance, the dark black, smooth patch on the patient’s sideburn in this picture is in sharp distinction to the crusty, rough brown “maturity spots” both above and below the melanoma.  The patient pictured at right had no other spot on him that was remotely similar in color to his melanoma.

Well, now you have all the tools you need to go out and change the world.  Don’t be afraid to look critically at your loved one’s dark spots, and don’t be afraid to (diplomatically) suggest to friends and acquaintances that they should get that funny looking mole checked out.  Tell them about the ABCDS.  And above all, don’t be afraid to be a hero.

Dr. Bishop graduated with honors from Wright State University School of Medicine, and served in the Air Force for nine years.  He is an affiliate of MIMA in Melbourne, Florida and specializes in cosmetic and surgical dermatology, including Mohs Micrographic Surgery, as well as non-surgical rejuvenation of the face. He has lectured on dermatologic surgery techniques both in the U.S. and in Europe. You may call Dr. Bishop at 321-751-9097, or CLICK HERE form more information.

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