What Is The ABCDE Rule In Skin Cancer Screening?

In skin cancer prevention, you can use the ABCDE rule to occasionally examine your moles and moles yourself.

The ABCDE rule is a very simple procedure that everyone at home should use to check themselves or their partner on a regular basis. This method makes it possible to pay attention to the symptoms relevant to Hautkrens and to consult your family doctor if you suspect it.

The ABCDE rule

The alphabet, at least the first letters for the ABCDE rule, can be used by anyone. The first five letters indicate signs that could be an indication of malignant melanoma. If you discover at least two points that apply to you from the ABCDE rule, you should consult the dermatologist to be on the safe side!

• A for asymmetry: the spots are not symmetrical. They are not nicely round or evenly oval like liver spots or freckles, but have asymmetrical outlines and shapes.
• B for boundary: If the outer lines of the skin patch are indistinct, frayed, washed out or irregular, then this is another cause for concern.

• C for Color: Malignant melanomas can have several colors, for example black in the center and brown edge or brown on the inside and reddish on the outside. They’re also colored differently than your moles or freckles.
• D for diameter: A malignant melanoma is often larger than a conventional mole. If you have a patch of skin that is more than 5mm in diameter, it could be melanoma.
• E for sublimity and development: unlike freckles, melanomas can be raised and stand out from an otherwise flat base. Unlike moles, they also develop within a period of time that even allows growth to be observed.

Be vigilant and watch your skin, especially if you are fair skinned or light haired! Apply the ABCDE rule regularly so that you can discover changes in good time.

Also, watch your partner’s skin in areas they can’t see, such as their back. Better to go to the doctor with a false alarm than to ask too seldom!

Detect melanoma early

Melanomas are the most visible signs of skin cancer. Skin cancer often goes undetected for a very long time because melanomas are very similar to liver spots.

The lighter your skin, the greater your risk of developing it. If you have light skin, please apply the ABCDE rule regularly out of self-interest.

The highest rate of skin cancer is in Australia and New Zealand, there it is about four times higher than ours. Dark-skinned people have the lowest risk of developing skin cancer: depending on the pigmentation of the skin, their risk is up to 20 times lower than that of fair-skinned Central Europeans!

The lighter the skin and hair color, the greater the risk. In terms of hair color, redheads are almost five times more likely to develop melanoma than black-haired people.

Anyone who has a lot of freckles should, despite self-examination using the ABCDE rule, have their family doctor regularly examine them to see whether the many brown spots also hide those that are harmful and could be skin cancer.

Because not all pigment spots on the face are harmless freckles; too much UV exposure of the skin (sun, tanning salons, etc.) can cause pigmentation disorders that are very similar to freckles.

Age spots are also pigmentation disorders of the skin caused by UV radiation. And not all of these pigment disorders are harmless!

Prevent skin cancer

The main cause of skin cancer is UV radiation. This has a changing effect on the skin cells.

Sunburn in particular causes profound skin changes. The more intense and frequent the sunburn and the younger the age of the skin (children!), The greater the likelihood of developing skin cancer as a result of sunburn.

So is protection from UV rays, the only correct prophylaxis!

Not all sunscreens protect against all harmful UV rays – and they are often used incorrectly. So a good sunscreen is never a bad investment and should be applied liberally at least half an hour before going out in the sun.

A day cream with a sun protection factor is a good idea, even in winter! Many day creams, BB and CC creams already contain a sun protection factor, but the right cream is not always included.

In the pharmacy there are liposomal sunscreens that you can wear as day cream under make-up and that you don’t have to re-apply during the day.

If you use cheap sun cream or a day cream with a sun protection factor, sun protection may not be guaranteed all day! So do your research well about your personal cream!

The sunshine is particularly intense between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Avoid the midday sun, treat yourself to warming sun rays in the late afternoon or evening, if you like! Then the sun is lower and is less intense.

UV rays hit your skin even in the shade, so sunscreen is mandatory under the parasol! In general, look for shady places to avoid excessive UV radiation!

Clothing offers good protection, especially when it is also used as protection from the sun. Not every piece of clothing offers equally good protection: the thinner the material, the less protection!