Local Law Blogs

Beginning Melanoma Monday, May 2, and continuing throughout the year, thousands of dermatologists across the country will be offering free skin cancer screenings in local communities to teach people how to conduct skin self-examinations and learn if they are at risk for the most common form of cancer ? skin cancer.

Skin cancer affects 1 in 5 Americans, yet it has a 95 percent cure rate when detected early. That?s why the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) encourages everyone to perform a monthly self-exam to look for irregular moles that are growing or changing. Designated by the Academy as ?National Skin Self-Examination Day,? Melanoma Monday is designed to raise awareness of melanoma ? the most serious form of skin cancer ? and the steps the public can take to prevent and detect this condition.  Source:  American Academy of Dermatology

Read on for Melanoma warning signs:

Self Exams are what reduce the rate of lethal skin cancer.  Look for the ABCDs of melanoma:

• A = Asymmetry -- Where the mole is not uniform or one side looks different from the other.
• B = Border irregularity -- This is when the borders are not uniform or are blurred or notched.
• C = Color -- Is the pigmentation of the mole uniform, or does it have different shades, is it mottled, or does it have red white or blue in it.
• D = Diameter -- Is it bigger than 6mm across.

If you have anything like this, then go see a doctor and have it looked at.  Remember catching melanoma early greatly reduces the risks or the skin cancer becoming lethal.