Melanoma skin cancer detection

A mark deserves attention when it changes in size, shape, colour, or surface, or when it stands out from your other moles. Uneven edges, several colours, persistent itching, bleeding, crusting, or a new dark spot can prompt assessment. These features do not diagnose cancer by themselves; benign marks can look unusual too.

A clinician may inspect the whole skin surface with a dermatoscope and feel nearby lymph nodes. If a lesion remains concerning, an excisional biopsy or another suitable biopsy removes tissue for laboratory examination. The result helps establish whether melanoma is present and whether further staging is needed.

Record when you first noticed the change and whether it has evolved. Take a clear photograph for comparison, without delaying an appointment. Do not pick, burn, or try to remove the mark yourself. A clinician may recommend [Surgical Excision](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/excisional-surgery/) or other [Skin Cancer Surgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/skin-cancer-surgery/) depending on the examination and biopsy findings.

Arrange a prompt dermatology assessment for a rapidly changing mole, a new mark that looks unlike the rest, or a lesion that repeatedly bleeds or forms a crust. Seek urgent medical advice if a wound will not heal, if a suspicious area becomes painful with spreading redness, or if you feel unwell alongside a concerning skin change. Urgency reflects the warning feature, not a conclusion about the diagnosis.

Ask which feature makes the mark concerning, whether dermoscopy or biopsy is appropriate, how the sample will be tested, and when results should be explained. If melanoma is confirmed, ask whether a [Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy](/treatments/diagnostics-and-staging/sentinel-lymph-node-biopsy/) or imaging is relevant and what follow-up will involve.