Dr Amir Khan, a regular on ITV's Lorraine, has shared a simple alphabet-based checklist that could help spot signs of melanoma skin cancer. The ABCDE criteria, which he discussed on his podcast 'No Appointment Necessary', can be used to examine moles for potential cancerous changes.
Melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with around 19,400 new cases diagnosed annually, according to Cancer Research UK. The disease is particularly dangerous because it can spread to other parts of the body, and its main cause is ultraviolet light from the sun or sunbeds.
The ABCDE checklist stands for Asymmetry, Border, Colour, Diameter, and Evolving. Dr Amir explained that a mole that is asymmetrical, has an irregular border, contains multiple colours, is larger than half a centimetre, or has changed over time should be considered worrying. If two or more of these features are present, he recommends seeing a dermatologist.
Cancer Research UK also promotes the ABCDE checklist on its website, but warns that melanomas on brown or black skin may be harder to spot and might not show the typical ABCD signs.
