{"id":67368,"date":"2021-07-14T12:12:11","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T16:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/?p=67368"},"modified":"2022-12-12T13:35:48","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T18:35:48","slug":"prevent-skin-cancer-how-to-check-your-skin-for-signs-of-melanoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/prevent-skin-cancer-how-to-check-your-skin-for-signs-of-melanoma\/","title":{"rendered":"Prevent skin cancer: How to check your skin for signs of melanoma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is melanoma?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer. According to the Melanoma Network of Canada,<\/a> Approximately 8,000 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma in 2020, and about 1,300 people died of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the melanoma survival rates?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is very important to check your skin for signs of melanoma because when it is found early, it has a cure rate of more than 90 percent, one of the highest cure rates of all cancers, according to the Canadian Dermatology Association<\/a>. One important way to help prevent skin cancer is to apply sunscreen correctly<\/a>\u00a0as part of a sun protection strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does melanoma look like?<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"man\u2019s
It is important to check your scalp, your palms and the soles of your feet for any unusual or changing spots or bumps.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of the tricky things about melanoma is that it doesn\u2019t look the same for everyone.  That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to examine your skin for any new spots or bumps.  It most commonly looks like a new or changing mole on your skin, which is dark brown or black, but it can be a variety of colours and shapes. So if you see anything new or change, ask your doctor to double check it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I get melanoma on my scalp, the palms of my hands or the soles of my feet?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes!  It is less common, but your scalp, your palms and the soles of your feet can be sites for melanoma and are still important to check for changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How should I check my skin for melanoma?<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Woman
Check your skin regularly for any changes, especially changes to your moles.  Use the UMSkinCheck app to help track any skin changes, and show anything you are concerned about to your doctor.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of the easiest ways to check your skin for melanoma is to use an app.  The University of Michigan has a skin check app called UMSkinCheck<\/a>.  It walks you through how to check your whole body, including looking at sites like your scalp and your feet.  Then it actually teaches you how to take photographs because taking photos is a really objective way to follow any changes to your skin, and skin change is one of the most important things to look for. If you see a change in your skin, it doesn\u2019t mean you have cancer.  It just means you need to show it to your doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 One thing to remember is that these skin check apps can not properly diagnose skin cancer (even if they say they can) because they aren\u2019t regulated.  You don\u2019t know who is looking at the pictures you upload or whether they are qualified to make a diagnosis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are all skin moles a sign of skin cancer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No.  Moles are a normal finding on many people, and most moles are completely harmless, but melanoma can look<\/em> like<\/em> a changing or irregular mole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the signs and symptoms of melanoma?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are often no symptoms of melanoma \u2013 you won\u2019t feel anything.  But there are signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One sign is a growing or changing mole, or something that looks like a mole, like a red spot or a pink bump. Generally I tell patients to look for an \u2018ugly duckling\u2019 \u2013 something on their body that doesn\u2019t look like anything else on their body, or something that stands out as a little different. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to check your skin regularly so you get to know what your moles look like and if they are changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Canadian Cancer Society<\/a> recommends using the ABCDE approach to looking at your skin moles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n