The “ABCDE” Method
Melanoma skin cancer is marked by brown stains or bumps on the skin, similar to beauty marks, but with an irregular shape. Recognizing that a lesion might be caused by skin cancer is done using the ABCDE method, i.e. by noting whether the lesion is asymmetrical (they do not balance on any two sides), lack a border even though the section is easily distinguished from the surrounding skin, have multiple colors, a large diameter (more than 6 mm), and evolves (there are changes of shape, color, and size of the lesion over time). Of these five indicators, “evolution” is the most significant possible symptom of melanoma.
“When diagnosing skin cancer, your doctor will check your skin thoroughly. They will check for lesions, and then they will check the shape, size, color, and texture of these lesions. By performing these checks, your doctor will be able to determine whether any concerning change on your skin is caused by a cancer or other illnesses. To confirm their diagnosis, the doctor will perform a biopsy of your skin – that is, they will cut off some tissue sample of the troubled area and check it in the laboratory. And finally, after the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will determine the severity or stage of the patient’s skin cancer,” Dr. Diani said.
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Doctors may also perform other checks, such as CT scans, MRIs, or lymph node biopsies, to check the extent of the cancerous cells’ spread. In general, skin cancer can be treated in the same way as other cancers: with surgery, plus chemotherapy or radiation, according to the type and severity of the illness. “Once you get the results of your biopsy, please get your illness treated immediately and do not go ‘doctor-shopping’ with the hope that you get a different diagnosis. Many patients who do this are forced to get back to their initial doctor, wasting so much time, money, and energy just to allow the disease to worsen and become harder to treat in the end,” Dr. Diani said. “There are also aggravating risk factors such as family history and age. As a general measure of prevention, do your outdoor exercises at 06.00- 07.00 a.m., and habituate wearing sun block lotions or creams with sufficient SPF, as well as hats and other head coverings, long-sleeved tops, and trousers or long skirts to protect yourselves from the sun.” (est)