Symptoms of Melanoma
A changing spot may be a problem, but not every change means cancer. A mole may appear and then get bigger or become raised but still be only a mole. It is normal for many moles to start flat and dark, become raised and dark, and then later lose much of their color. This process takes many years.

Most public-health information about melanoma stresses the so-called ABCDEs:

Asymmetry: One half of the mole is different from the other half.

Border irregularity: The spot has borders which are not smooth and regular but uneven or notched.

Color: The spot has several colors in an irregular pattern or is a very different color than the rest of one's moles.

Diameter: The spot is larger than the size of a pencil eraser (6 mm).

Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape, color, or overall texture. This may also include new bleeding.

These guidelines are somewhat helpful, but the problem is that many normal moles and other benign lesions of the skin are not perfectly symmetrical in their shape or color. Many spots, which seem to have one or more of the ABCDEs, are in fact just ordinary moles and not melanomas. Additionally, some melanomas do not fit this description but may still be spotted by a primary care physician or dermatologist. Not all melanomas have color or are raised on the skin. Amelanotic melanomas have little or no color may be confused with traumatized benign nevi or basal cell carcinoma. Desmoplastic melanoma may appear to be a thickened area of skin like a scar. As a rule, melanoma is not painful unless traumatized. They sometimes itch, but this has no diagnostic or prognostic importance.