Doctor shares simple checklist to know if a mole is skin cancer

An NHS doctor has shared a simple checklist to determine whether a mole on your skin could be a deadly disease. The expert urged people to follow his advice in order to catch skin cancer symptoms sooner rather than later.

Skin cancer affects over 170,000 people in the UK each year, making it one of the most common forms of cancer in the UK. As with any disease, recognising the symptoms early on is crucial for getting the right treatment.

With this in mind, a doctor shared what’s known as the “ABCDE” checklist to ensure you don’t miss any potential warning signs of the disease. On social media platform TikTok, , who is better known as Dr Sooj, explained more about the difference between a healthy and cancerous mole on the skin.

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He said: “How do you know if your skin mole is cancerous? I'm Dr Sooj and I'm going to show you how to check if your mole could be skin cancer.

“Moles are small coloured spots on your skin. You may have a new mole on your skin or notice a change in an existing mole.

“It's most likely nothing to worry about, but here are the signs of melanoma, which is a type of skin cancer. The ABCDE checklist shows the differences between a normal mole and the signs of melanoma.”

Asymmetrical

The “A” stands for “asymmetrical”, Dr Sooj continued: “Melanomas usually have an uneven shape and two very different halves.”

Border

According to Dr Sooj, melanomas “usually” have an irregular or ragged border.

Colours

Melanomas typically have a mix of two or more colours, he said.

Diameter

“D stands for diameter, melanomas are usually more than six millimetres wide,” Dr Sooj said.

“Six millimetres is about the same size as a pencil rubber.”

Evolving

Lastly, he explained that a mole that changes shape, size, colour, or bleeds or itches or becomes crusty is “more likely” to be a melanoma.

Melanomas can affect any part of the body. Dr Sooj added: “Melanomas can appear anywhere on your body. The most common areas to find melanomas are on the back and legs, inside the eye, the soles of your feet, the palms of your hands or on the genitals.”

He warned people to check their skin for any “unusual changes” or new growths. He said: “Use a mirror or ask a partner or friend to check any areas that you can't see. Think about taking a photo so you can see any changes over a period of time.”

If you notice any unusual changes like the ones listed above, you should see your GP as soon as possible.