This article is part of Expert Diagnosis & Treatment Saves the Vision—& Life—of a Patient with a Rare Form of Melanoma, ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÉç Langone Health News, ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÉç Langone Health News Summer 2021.
More than 30 years ago, dermatologists at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÉç Langone Health developed the criteria for detecting melanoma, popularized in the mnemonic ABCDE. ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÉç Langone’s melanoma surgeons specialize in removing the cancer while preserving appearance and function; our medical oncologists provide the latest targeted treatments, including genetically engineered injectable therapies; and our researchers and clinicians study all aspects of the melanoma disease process.
A is for asymmetry, where half the mole is unlike the other.
B is for border, where the mole is irregularly shaped, scalloped, or poorly defined.
C is for color, where there is variation from one area to another or different shades of tan, brown, or black, and sometimes white, red, or blue.
D is for diameter, where a mole is wider than a pencil eraser.
E is for evolving, where a mole changes in size, shape, or color over time.
