SKIN CANCER DETECTOR

With the increasing rates of skin cancer globally, it is crucial for good patient care to know when to refer patients with a suspicious spot on their skin.

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1. Counselling Conundrum: a real question from a patient

2. Concise Conclusion: a straight-forward patient-friendly answer 

3. Quick Wrap-up 

Clearly, there are nuances that may not be captured in this format. The goal here is to provide you with helpful counselling tips which often draw from multiple sources or those which are not commonly accessed by busy healthcare providers serving the community.

Counselling Conundrum: "My friend recently had a mole removed because it turned out to be skin cancer. Should I worry about mine?"

Concise Conclusion: I would speak to your doctor if any of these are true about your mole: asymmetry, irregular border or colour, if it's large (>6 mm), and if it's evolving.

Quick Wrap-up:

You may hear these criteria as the "ABCDEs" of melanoma:

• A for asymmetry

• B for border

• C for colour

• D for diameter

• E for evolving (or change over time)

Remind patients about sun protection (sun screen, clothing including head and ear covering) and focus on patients that are on meds that put them at a possible increased risk for cellular damage and change such as hydrochlorothiazide, tacrolimus, etc.

Dive Deeper

1) https://www.canadianskincancerfoundation.com/skin-cancer/#:~:text=Over%2080%2C000%20cases%20of%20skin,deadliest%20form%20of%20skin%20cancer.&text=Canadians%20born%20in%20the%201990s,1960s%20(1%20in%2020)%20(6-1-23)

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