Last Saturday, the Canadian Dermatology Association, with Dr. Jason Rivers, Dr. Sunil Kalia and myself plus two very dedicated dermatology residents Dr. Saud Alobaida and Dr. Bez Toosi spent a few hours at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre for a very worthy cause: skin cancer screening.
This yearly event helps to promote awareness and make skin cancer screening accessible to the hundreds of people who came down and waited patiently to be screened. We were also handing out samples of sunscreen and some brochures for self-checks. If you missed the event, there is always next year! In the meantime, if there is something of concern to you on your skin, speak with your family doctor- they can help you determine if you need a referral to a dermatologist.
For self-checks at home, remember the ABCDE rule posted back in February in ABCs of Moles:
- A: Asymmetry– this describes moles that don’t look the same on both sides if you imagine dividing them in half
- B: Border irregularity– a border with notches or an irregular outline
- C: Colour variation- moles with more than one colour
- D: Diameter– greater than 6mm; the size of a pink eraser on the tip of a pencil
- E: Evolution– a mole that is changing rapidly, for example from one month to the next, or changing differently or faster than other moles.
This rule is meant to help detect melanoma. Of course, basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers and other, rarer types of skin cancer can present differently. Any growing pink bump, or a growing spot that stands out from your others deserves to be checked. The “ugly duckling” rule helps you catch these- if there is one spot on your skin that doesn’t match any others, especially if it is growing or changing, show it to your doctor.