Diagnosis of melanoma: what is important to know

Early diagnosis

Unfortunately, the five-year survival rate of patients with melanoma in Ukraine is 95%, while in the USA this figure fluctuates around 5%. This fantastic difference is explained not by the methods and methods of treatment, but by the period of diagnosis. Melanoma can be successfully treated, and most importantly, diagnosed and removed before metastasis occurs. That is why skin examination and early detection of the disease is necessary primarily for people who are at risk.

Particular attention should be paid to persons:

• with light eyes, hair and skin that does not tan well;
• with a large number of moles (more than 50);
• with congenital or atypical nevi;
• in whose family there have been cases of melanoma;
• who have had melanoma in the past (risk of recurrence);
• who were excessively burned in childhood or adolescence;
• who work outdoors.

You should encourage your client to seek advice from a specialist in this regard to assess the risk and the appropriate frequency of testing.

Skin examination: ACORD rule

To diagnose melanoma as early as possible, the client is advised to undergo regular (approximately three times a year) skin examinations of the entire body. Under such conditions, it will be easier to notice new age spots or changes in moles.

The main problem is to distinguish a regular mole (benign) from melanoma (malignant). To do this, you need to remember the acronym ACORD melanoma. This simple rule helps you remember the warning signs that you need to watch for:

A – asymmetry: if a healthy mole is divided in half by a conditional line - the halves of a healthy mole should be equal, the appearance of asymmetry may be one of the first signs of degeneration;

K – edge: in a healthy mole it should be smooth; the appearance of irregularities or nicks, or torn edges may also indicate degeneration;

O – color: it should be uniform, the intensity of color in different moles may vary. Danger will be indicated by the appearance of inclusions of a different color - gray, white, black, red, dark brown.

P – size: the larger the mole, the higher the risk of degeneration. But the size can also be total - that is, many small moles increase the risk of degeneration of one of them.

D - dynamics: degeneration can be indicated by any changes in dynamics - an increase in size, bleeding, the appearance of crusts.

The presence of one or more of these signs does not necessarily indicate that your client has developed melanoma, but they should not be ignored. If there is the least doubt, you should schedule a consultation with a dermatologist.

Simple and painless examination

The examination consists of examining the skin of the body using a dermatoscope, the purpose of which is to identify spots or moles that are suspected of cancer. If suspicious elements are found, the doctor makes a decision - observation or removal, followed by histological analysis.

In addition to visual examination using a dermatoscope, today the latest achievement in dermatology is used - the method of epiluminescent computer dermatoscopy (ECD), intended for the early diagnosis of degenerating moles and skin cancer. This method allows the doctor not only to examine the surface of the skin, but also to see the changes that occur in its deeper layers, without damaging the tissue.

Table 1. Skin phototypes