Summer is coming, fast! The warmer, summer months are just around the corner and for a lot of us it's about this time of year that we start replenishing our sun screen supplies and consider a skin check-up.
Protecting yourself from a potentially fatal melanoma diagnosis can be as easy as self- monitoring and regular skin cancer clinic check-ups. Melanoma is the least common form of skin cancer but is the most dangerous and results in more than 250 deaths a year.
If you notice a new or changing spot it is very important to get this checked out. Melanoma may look like a mole but it changes over a period of time in size, shape and colour. The difficulty with melanoma is that is usually not symptomatic - that is it can be seen (if you are looking) but not usually felt.
The images below are all melanoma - however they all look distinctly different.
….if in doubt, get it checked out!
Your risk of Melanoma increases progressively with an increase in:
- total number of moles e.g. >100
- atypical moles
- previous primary melanomas
- family members with melanoma
- severe sunburns and recreational sun exposure
- non-melanoma skin cancers
- skin types that tend to burn rather than tan
