Symptoms

People with melanoma may experience the following symptoms. Sometimes, people with melanoma do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. The skin features that people with melanoma frequently develop are listed below. If you are concerned about a symptom or skin feature on this list, please talk with your doctor.

Changes in the skin are often the first warning sign of melanoma. An accurate diagnosis by a doctor or other health-care professional is important. Often, the diagnosis can only accurately be made after a lesion is removed and examined under a microscope. Melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, even on areas that are not exposed to the sun, and can appear in a number of different ways:

• A new, possibly large, irregularly shaped, dark brownish spot with darker or black areas
  
  
• A simple mole that changes in color (particularly turning darker), size (growing), or texture (becoming firmer), and/or flakes or bleeds
  
  
• An unusual lesion with an irregular border and red, white, blue, gray, or bluish-black areas or spots
  
  
• Shiny, firm, dome-shaped bumps that are new, changing, or unusual anywhere on the body
  
  
• Dark lesions under the fingernails or toenails, on the palms, soles, tips of fingers and toes, or on mucous membranes (skin that lines the mouth, nose, vagina, and anus)

Early detection of melanoma

The earlier melanoma is detected, the better the chance for successful treatment. Periodic self-examinations of a person’s skin may help find melanoma early.

Self-examinations should be performed in front of a full-length mirror in a brightly lit room. It helps to have another person check the scalp and back of the neck.

Include the following steps in a skin self-examination:

• Examine the front and back of the entire body in a mirror, then the right and left sides, with arms raised.
  
  
• Bend the elbows and look carefully at the outer and inner forearms, upper arms (especially the hard-to-see back portion), and hands.
  
  
• Look at the front, sides, and back of the legs and feet, including the soles and the spaces between the toes.
  
  
• Part the hair to lift it and examine the back of the neck and scalp with a hand mirror.
  
  
• Check the back, genital area, and buttocks with a hand mirror.

A doctor should be consulted if you find:

• A growth on the skin that matches any feature on the above list
  
  
• New growth on the skin
  
  
• A suspicious change in an existing mole or spot
  
  
• An unusual sensation in a mole, such as itching or tingling
  
  
• A sore that doesn't heal within two weeks

Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, or color of an existing mole. It also may appear as a new or abnormal-looking mole. The "ABCDE" rule can be used to help remember what to watch for:

Asymmetry: The shape of one half of the mole does not match the other.

Border: The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.

Color: The color is often uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, gray, red, or blue may also be seen.

Diameter: The diameter is usually larger than 6 millimeters (mm) (the size of a pencil eraser) or has grown in size.

Evolving: The mole has been changing in size, shape, color, appearance, or growing in an area of previously normal skin. Also, when melanoma develops in an existing mole, the texture of the mole may change and become hard, lumpy, or scaly. Although the skin may feel different and may itch, ooze, or bleed, melanoma usually does not cause pain.