Do You Know the ABCDE’s of Melanoma?

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At NY Foot Health, as the summer starts and more people are finally able to go outside, we want to recognize Skin Cancer Awareness Month and provide patients with some important information about skin cancer on your feet.

Skin cancers on the feet have some common characteristics. They are usually painless, and often there is a history of cracking, bleeding, or ulceration of the skin. Although the sun is a primary cause of skin cancer and can damage the skin on your feet, more often, podiatric skin cancers are the result of other causes, including the following:

  • Viruses

  • Chemical exposure

  • Genetics

  • Chronic irritation or inflammation

Early Detection is Key

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 99% of skin cancers are curable if diagnosed and treated early enough. Inspecting the skin on your feet is particularly important. Often skin cancers that occur on the feet are not detected in their earliest stages because patients don’t expect to find skin cancer there. Be on the lookout for growths, sores, moles, or any unusual spots on the skin. Use the ABCDE guide to identify potential melanomas.

A—asymmetry is a potential melanoma indicator. If you were to draw a line down the middle of the mole and the two sides appear different, the lesion is asymmetrical.

B—borders of melanomas most often have uneven edges or borders that appear to be scalloped or have notches in them.

C—color is important. Benign moles or lesions are usually all one shade of brown. Different shades of brown, black, tan, red, blue, or white in the same mole can be a warning sign.

D—diameter of lesion that is greater than ¼ of an inch or 6 mm (about the size of a pencil eraser) is cause for getting a skin spot evaluated.

E—evolving or changing lesions that are getting bigger, becoming elevated, varying in shape, or showing new symptoms such as bleeding, crusting, or itching is potentially harmful.

Even if you are not sure if a mole on your foot has changed or falls into one of these atypical categories, it’s best to ask your podiatrist to take a look. If you need to find a podiatrist in your area, use our online directory to help you find one. For more information on skin cancers of the feet and other podiatric problems, contact us.

Foot Health, skin conditions, skin cancerNYSPMAmelanoma, skin cancer, podiatrist