May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and the first Monday of May is designated as Melanoma Monday.

Melanoma is expected to claim the lives of over 7000 Americans in 2021. However, early stage melanomas have over a 95% survival rate! That’s why it’s so important to check your moles monthly and see your dermatologist annually to detect new, unusual, or changing spots as early as possible.

Let’s review the ABCs…that is, what are the warning signs that a mole might be a melanoma?

• A = Asymmetry (one half does not mirror the other half)
• B = Border (irregular, scalloped, smudged)
• C = Color (dark black, red, 2+ colors present)
• D = Diameter (>6 mm or pencil eraser)
• E = Evolving (changing)
• F = Feels Funny (itchy, painful, bleeding, burning)
• Bonus: The “ugly duckling” = a mole that looks different from the rest