Melanoma is less common than the other skin cancers but the most serious, because it can spread. The good news: caught early it is very treatable. It usually shows up as a new or changing mole — here is exactly what to look for, and how to get a mole reviewed if you are unsure.
MelanomaA dark, asymmetric mole with an irregular border and uneven colourThe ABCDE signs
- A – Asymmetry: one half does not match the other.
- B – Border: irregular, ragged or blurred edges.
- C – Colour: more than one colour, or uneven colour.
- D – Diameter: larger than about 6 mm, though melanomas can be smaller.
- E – Evolving: changing in size, shape or colour, or newly itching or bleeding.
The ugly-duckling rule
Your moles usually look like a family. A melanoma often stands out as the odd one — different in colour, shape or size from your others. Trust that instinct: a mole that looks different is worth checking, even without a textbook ABCDE feature.
Where melanoma appears
Anywhere — most commonly on the back in men and the legs in women, but also on the face, and even on areas that get little sun such as the soles, palms and under nails (a new dark streak under a nail deserves a look). It can start in an existing mole or on clear skin.
Why acting early matters
Early melanoma, confined to the surface, is usually cured by simple removal. Once it grows deeper and spreads it becomes far harder to treat — so a changing or unusual mole is worth checking sooner rather than watching for months.
Get a mole reviewed
Upload a photo and Dr Walia reviews it — using the photographs and information you submit — and provides written next-step advice from the submitted photographs, including when an in-person examination is appropriate. Get a mole reviewed — $49. Related: is my mole skin cancer?
Not a diagnosis; cannot rule cancer in or out. Any suspicious mole needs an in-person exam and, if required, a biopsy. And not every melanoma is dark or mole-shaped — nodular and amelanotic melanomas can appear as a firm, pink or skin-coloured lump.