Melanoma Skin Cancer Screening and Prevention
The rates of new melanomas vary by age and sex. In people younger than 50, the rates have been stable for women and have declined by about 1% a year in men since the early 2000s. In people ages 50 and older, rates have increased in women by about 3% per year but have stayed stable among men.
Melanoma is a cancer that begins in melanocytes. These cells make pigment and give skin its color. Melanomas can start anywhere in the skin. In people with lighter skin color, they are more likely to start on the trunk (chest, abdomen and back) in men and on the legs in women. The neck and face are other common sites. People with darkly pigmented skin have a lower risk of melanoma at these more common sites.
How to Get Screened for Melanoma Skin Cancer
If you have an abnormal area on your skin, your doctor will examine it and might do tests to find out if it is melanoma, another type of skin cancer or some other skin condition.
If you are being seen by your primary care doctor and melanoma is suspected, you may be referred to a dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in skin diseases and will look at the area more closely.
If your doctor finds melanoma, they might order other tests to learn more about it and to find out if it has spread to other areas of the body.
Melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, even in areas that are not exposed to the sun. The most frequent locations where melanoma occurs are the face, scalp, trunk or torso (chest, abdomen and back), legs and arms.
Perform self-examinations in front of a full-length mirror in a brightly lit room. It helps to have another person check your scalp and back of your neck. Include the following steps in a self-examination:
- Examine the front and back of your entire body in a mirror, then your right and left sides, with arms raised.
- Bend your elbows and look carefully at the outer and inner forearms, upper arms (especially the hard-to-see back portion) and hands.
- Look at the front, sides and back of your legs and feet, including the soles and between the toes.
- Part your hair to lift it and examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror.
- Check the back, genital area and buttocks with a hand mirror.
- If you suspect that certain areas of skin are changing, take photos to look for changes over time.
Talk with your doctor or a dermatologist if your hair stylist or barber has noticed a suspicious skin area or lesion on your scalp or under your beard, or if you find any of the following during a self-examination:
- A new growth on the skin
- A suspicious change in an existing mole or spot
- A sore that does not heal within two weeks
A painless medical technique being used for early detection of melanoma is epiluminescence microscopy, or dermoscopy. Using a handheld device, a doctor can evaluate the size, shape and pigmentation of skin lesions. Among trained, experienced medical professionals, dermoscopy may reduce the number of biopsies of pigmented lesions to rule out melanoma, although more research is needed.
Confocal scanning laser microscopy, an advanced imaging technique, is another new technology that may improve the examination of possible melanoma lesions. Currently, it is only used in research studies called clinical trials.
- Sun exposure: Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun plays a big role in the development of skin cancer. People who live at high altitudes or in areas with bright sunlight year-round have a higher risk of developing skin cancer. People who spend a lot of time outside in the middle of the day also have a higher risk. Avoid recreational tanning outdoors to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
- Indoor tanning: People who use tanning beds, tanning parlors or sun lamps have an increased risk of developing all types of skin cancer. Using indoor tanning devices is strongly discouraged.
- Moles: People with many moles or unusual moles called dysplastic nevi have a higher risk of developing melanoma. Dysplastic nevi are large moles that have an irregular color and shape. A doctor may recommend that people with many moles regularly take pictures to monitor their skin.
- Fair skin: People with a fair complexion, blue eyes, freckles, or blond or red hair are at increased risk for developing melanoma. The risk is also higher for people whose skin tends to burn rather than tan.
- Family history: About 10% of people with melanoma have a family history of the disease. If a person has a close relative (parent, brother, sister or child) who has been diagnosed with melanoma, that person's risk of developing melanoma is 2 to 3 times higher than average. This risk increases if several family members who live in different locations have been diagnosed with melanoma.
- Familial melanoma: Changes, called mutations, in specific genes, such as CDKN2A, CDK4, P53 and MITF, have been linked to melanoma, but these mutations are rare. Only a small number of families with a history of melanoma pass these genetic mutations from generation to generation.
- Other inherited conditions: People with specific inherited genetic conditions have an increased risk of developing melanoma. They include xeroderma pigmentosum, retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Werner syndrome and certain hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromes.
- Previous skin cancer: People who have had a melanoma have an increased risk of developing new ones. People who have had basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer also have an increased risk of developing melanoma.
- Race or ethnicity: Melanoma rates are about 20 times higher in white people than in Black people. However, a person of any race, ethnicity or skin color can develop melanoma.
- Age: The median age at which people are diagnosed with melanoma is just above 50 years old. Median is the midpoint, which means that about half of people with melanoma are diagnosed when they are younger than 50, and about half are diagnosed when they are older than 50. Melanoma occurs in young adults more often than many other types of cancer.
- Weakened or suppressed immune system: People who have a weakened immune system or use certain medications that suppress immune function have a higher risk of developing skin cancer, including melanoma.
Sun damage builds up over time, so it is important to take the following steps to reduce sun exposure and avoid sunburn:
- Limit or avoid direct exposure to the sun during daytime hours.
- Wear sun-protective clothing, including a wide-brimmed hat that shades the face, neck and ears. Clothes made from fabric labeled with UV protection factor (UPF) may provide better protection. UV-protective sunglasses are also recommended.
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen throughout the year that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
- Avoid recreational outdoor sunbathing.
- Refrain from using sun lamps, tanning devices and tanning salons.
- Examine your skin regularly. This should include examinations by a health care professional as well as self-examinations.
Know the facts, risk factors and cancer screening options. View and download educational material from the American Cancer Society: