AAD dermatologists urge parents to use ABCDEs to check for melanoma

As the new school year has begun, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology are urging the parents to learn the mnemonic for early detection of melanoma to regularly check their skin for signs of skin cancer.

“As a mom, I understand how easily parents’ health can take a back seat to the needs of the family,” Doris Day, MD, FAAD, clinical associate professor of dermatology, NYU School of Medicine/Langone Medical Center, New York, said in an AAD press release. “However, it’s important to value your own health and well-being as well as your children’s. Take a few minutes … to check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer. It could save your life.”

Dermatologists are urging parents to learn the ABCDEs of melanoma: A for asymmetry, in which one half of the mole does not match the other half; B for border irregularity; C for color that varies from one area to another; D for diameter larger than 6 mm or the size of a pencil eraser; and E for evolving, in which a mole or skin lesion looks different than others or is changing in size, shape or color.

The AAD also has created a video titled “Can you spot skin cancer?” which uses ultraviolet technology to show sun damage hidden beneath the skin.

“Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and one person dies of melanoma every hour,” Ellen S. Marmur, MD, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, said in the release.

The AAD has a website called SpotSkinCancer.org, on which people can download a body mole map to track changes on the skin and can find free skin cancer screenings, according to the release.

Reference: www.aad.org