Sometimes I think I was put on this planet just to be a warning to others...
See the harmless looking dot on the sole of my foot? Turns out it's
melanoma. Foot-melanomas are particularly
insidious in that they often don't get recognized until it's too late. Thankfully mine is tiny, the dermatologist thinks he can cut it out and no further treatment will be needed.
Check your feet!
A popular method for remembering the signs and symptoms of melanoma is the mnemonic "ABCDE":
* Asymmetrical skin lesion.
* Border of the lesion is irregular.
* Color: melanomas usually have multiple colors.
* Diameter: moles greater than 6 mm are more likely to be melanomas than smaller moles.
* Enlarging: Enlarging or evolving
A weakness in this system is the D. Many melanomas present themselves as lesions smaller than 6 mm in diameter; and likely all melanomas were malignant on day 1 of growth, which is merely a dot. An astute physician will examine all abnormal moles, including ones less than 6 mm in diameter.
-Blast
Previous Topic
Index
