Skin cancer develops primarily on sun-exposed areas of the body. It usually forms on the scalp, face, nose, eye lids, ears, back, upper extremities and legs. Non- exposed areas such as palms, soles, nails and genitalia are less common.

There are three types of skin cancer : basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. The first two types are also referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer. Nonmelanoma skin cancer rarely spreads to other parts of the body. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer because it tends to invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). There are also some other, rare types of skin cancer and some skin growths (actinic keratosis) which tend to develop into a cancer with time and are called precancerous.

The most important warning sign of skin cancer is any change in shape, size or color of a new or pre-existing mole. Use the ABCDE rule to evaluate your moles or pigmented spots:

A is for Asymmetry. One half doesn't match the appearance of the other half.

B is for Border. The edges are irregular, raged or blurred.

C is for Color. The color or pigmentation is not uniform. There are shades of brown, tan, red, black, white or blue. It is also possible that part of a mole will lose colour (regression).

D is for Diameter. The size of the mole is greater than 6 mm (0.25 in.)

E is for Evolution. There is a change in shape, size, color, surface (bleeding, elevation) or symptoms (itching or tenderness) over time.

The safest way to treat a suspicious mole is the surgical excision with a sufficient margin. The entire lesion is removed along with some of the normal skin around it. The sample is sent to the pathology lab for examination and diagnosis.

A dysplastic nevus is usually a flat and multi-colored mole of a diameter bigger than 5mm . People with dysplastic nevi are at increased risk of developing melanoma and should have their skin checked every month.

Examine your skin regularly to detect any suspicious moles. Early detection and removal remain the optimum treatment for skin cancer, ensuring the best cosmetic results.