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Melanoma
What are the symptoms of melanoma?
Unusual moles, exposure to sunlight, and health history can affect the risk of developing melanoma.
Risk factors include the following:
• Unusual moles.
• Exposure to natural sunlight, including sunburns during childhood.
• Exposure to artificial ultraviolet light (tanning booth).
• Family or personal history of melanoma.
• Red or blond hair.
• White or light-colored skin and freckles.
• Blue eyes.
Possible signs of melanoma include a change in the appearance of a mole or pigmented area.
These and other symptoms may be caused by melanoma or by other conditions. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:
• A mole that:
• changes in size, shape, or color.
• has irregular edges or borders.
• is more than 1 color.
• is asymmetrical (if the mole is divided in half, the 2 halves are different in size or shape).
• itches.
• oozes, bleeds, or is ulcerated (a hole forms in the skin when the top layer of cells breaks down and the underlying tissue shows through).
• Change in pigmented (colored) skin.
• Satellite moles (new moles that grow near an existing mole).
