trimalkin

Malignant Melanoma. It’s just a mole. Just a mole, they said, nodding their heads. Photo by Keith Cartmell This one was different. It didn’t fit the ABCDE criteria for suspicious moles. My body is covered in hundreds or thousands of moles thanks to my Irish genetics, fair skin that burns before it tans, green eyes and blonde hair.   This mole wasn’t dark and flat like in the ABCDE posters.  It was dark pink (amelanotic) and raised (nodular). Atypical. Source: NCI Visuals Online. Skin Cancer Foundation. www.cancer.gov. The ABCDEs of melanoma skin cancer are: Asymmetry.  One half doesn't match the appearance of the other half. Border irregularity.  The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred. Colour.  The colour (pigmentation) is not uniform. Shades of tan, brown, and black are present. Dashes of red, white, and blue add to a mottled appearance. Diameter.  The size of the mole is greater than 6 mm (1/4 inch), about the size of a pencil eraser. Any growth o...