Because of the possible link between severe sunburns in childhood and greatly increased risk of melanoma in later life, children, in particular, should be protected from the sun. Recognition of changes in skin growths or the appearance of new growths is the best way to find early skin cancer. Adults should practice skin self-exam once a month, and suspicious lesions should be evaluated promptly by a physician. Basal and squamous cell skin cancers often take the form of a pale, waxlike, pearly nodule, or a red, scaly, sharply outlined patch. A sudden or progressive change in a mole's appearance should be checked by a physician.
Melanomas often start as small, mole-like growths that increase in size and change color.
One half of the mole does not match the other half. B is for border irregularity. The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred. C is for color. The pigmentation is not uniform or intensely black.