Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging of Melanoma Skin Cancer

Know the signs and symptoms of melanoma skin cancer. Find out how melanoma skin cancer is tested for, diagnosed, and staged.

Can melanoma skin cancer be found early?

Melanoma can often be found early, when treatment is most likely to be successful. Some people have a higher risk of getting melanoma than others, but anyone can get melanoma.

Skin self-exam

Although the American Cancer Society does not have guidelines for the early detection of skin cancer, knowing your own skin is important to finding skin cancer early. You should know the pattern of moles, blemishes, freckles, and other marks on your skin.

Many doctors recommend checking your own skin, preferably once a month. Skin self-exams are best done in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. Use a handheld mirror to help look at areas that are hard to see, such as the backs of your thighs.

Any spots on the skin that are new or changing in size, shape, or color should be seen by a doctor promptly. Be sure to show your doctor any areas that concern you, and ask them to look at areas that might be hard for you to see.

Exam by a healthcare professional

Some healthcare professionals do skin exams as part of routine health checkups. If they find any unusual moles or other suspicious areas, they might refer you to a dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in skin problems.

Dermatologists can also do regular skin exams. Many dermatologists use a technique called dermoscopy, also known as dermatoscopy, epiluminescence microscopy, or surface microscopy, to look at spots on the skin more clearly. A photo of the spot might be taken as well.

Regular exams for people at higher risk

Regular skin exams are especially important for people at higher risk of melanoma, such as:

• People with atypical mole syndrome
• People with a strong family history of melanoma
• People who have had melanoma before

If you have many moles, your doctor might advise taking full-body photos so your moles can be tracked over time and new ones can be seen more readily. This is sometimes called total body photography or mole mapping. Talk to your doctor about how often you should have your skin examined.

Smartphone apps to look for melanoma on the skin

In recent years, smartphone apps powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have been developed to help identify areas that might be skin cancer and should be looked at by a doctor.

Although these tools continue to improve over time, there are still concerns about their accuracy, and more research is needed before expert groups would recommend them. For now, it’s best to have any area you’re concerned about looked at by a trained health professional.

Signs and symptoms of melanoma skin cancer

Most melanomas are found early because of signs or symptoms. The most important warning signs of melanoma are:

• A new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color.
• A spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin.

The ABCDE rule is another guide to some of the most common signs of melanoma.

• A is for Asymmetry: One half of a mole does not match the other.
• B is for Border: The edges are irregular or blurred.
• C is for Color: The color isn’t the same all over.
• D is for Diameter: The spot is larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
• E is for Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape, or color.

Tests for melanoma skin cancer

If you have an area on your skin that might be cancer, your doctor will examine it and might do tests to find out whether it is melanoma or some other skin condition. Your primary healthcare provider might refer you to a dermatologist, who will look at the area more closely.

If melanoma is found, other tests might then be done to learn more about it, such as whether it has spread to other parts of the body.

Stages and outlook for melanoma skin cancer

Doctors use information about a melanoma’s stage (extent) to decide what treatment is best for each person.

Survival rates are a way to measure how many people survive a certain type of cancer over time. Some people find this information helpful, while others prefer to focus more on treatment plans and next steps.