4 Warning Signs of Melanoma

(Source: Excerpts from AARP, June 17, 2024)

Roughly 100,640 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, according to the American Cancer Society, making it one of the most common types of cancer in the U.S., especially among older adults who have endured decades of sun exposure and whose immune systems aren’t as robust as they once were. In women ages 50 and older, rates of new cases continue to increase by almost 3 percent each year.

The good news: Melanoma is highly curable if it’s caught early. Do you know what to look for?

The hallmarks of melanoma are asymmetrical or rough-looking moles without clearly defined borders. A spot on the skin that continues to grow in size or change is another indication, and a once-monthly body scan is an easy way to keep tabs on any of these concerning characteristics. Here are four warning signs of melanoma you need to know about so that no spot goes unnoticed.

1. The ‘ugly duckling’:

People who have lots of moles are at increased risk for melanoma. That doesn’t mean, however, that you need to panic over every mark on your body. Pay attention to the moles that stand out — those that are darker than the rest, have changed recently or are more oddly shaped. With women, melanomas most commonly appear on the arms and legs. Men need to pay special attention to their head, neck, back and trunk. Still, those aren’t the only places this type of skin cancer can pop up.

2. ‘Where the sun doesn’t shine’:

The majority of melanomas are thought to be caused by ultraviolet (UV) light, but not all of them come from sun exposure. Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, including “in places the sun doesn’t shine,” like the soles of the feet or the palms of the hand, says Elizabeth Quigley, M.D., a dermatologist and associate physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. And while it’s rarer, melanoma also can develop on the eye, inside the mouth or on the scalp. Melanoma is 20 times more common in white individuals than in Black individuals, according to the American Cancer Society. Hispanics are also less likely than their white peers to get the skin cancer.

3. Red, white and blue hues:

Melanomas are often depicted as dark-brown moles, but they can actually present in a variety of colors. The cancer may have a blue tint to it, from deeper pigmentation, says Robert Brodell, M.D., chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Or it can appear red, the result of an immune response. “The body is attacking it. It knows it’s abnormal and it’s trying to defend itself, and you get inflammation,” Brodell explains.

It’s also possible for a melanoma to “look like a rash,” Quigley says, and to take on a pink hue. But when the spot doesn’t get better with creams and other treatments that normally nix a rash, “you need to check and make sure that that’s not a skin cancer,” she adds. Another sign of a melanoma can be lack of color. Some of these cancerous spots lose their pigmentation completely or partially, leaving a halo of white around a darker spot.

4. Spots on the skin that bleed or itch:

If a mole on your body starts to itch or becomes more painful or tender, you need to get it checked out. The same goes if the surface of a mole changes — maybe it starts to ooze or bleed or take on a scalier appearance and doesn’t heal on its own.

Another thing to keep in mind: People on certain blood pressure medications — including diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide and calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine — need to be extra cautious when spending time outside. “Many of those [blood pressure] medicines make us more sensitive to the sun and more likely to get a sunburn,” Quigley says, which amplifies the risk of skin cancer.

Not all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, so frequent skin checks are an important part of prevention, too. Catching a melanoma before it has time to grow in thickness and spread to other areas of the body greatly improves recovery.