How melanoma looks can vary greatly. If you have lots of moles, a melanoma usually stands out and looks different from other moles. The first sign of melanoma is often a new spot or a change in an existing mole.
Signs of melanoma
The ABCD and EFG rule is a tool used by doctors to help them look for characteristics of skin damage when diagnosing melanomas.
ABCD signs
| Asymmetry | Are the halves of each spot different? |  |
| Border | Are the edges uneven, scalloped or notched? | |
| Colour | Are there differing shades and colour patches? |  |
| Diameter | Is the spot greater than 6 mm across, or is it smaller than 6 mm but growing larger? | |
EFG signs
Some types of melanoma, such as nodular and desmoplastic melanomas, don’t fit the ABCD guidelines.
| Elevated | Is it raised? |  |
| Firm | Is it firm to touch? | |
| Growing | Is it growing quickly? |  |
For an overview of what to expect at every stage of your cancer care, visit Melanoma: Your guide to best cancer care. This is a short guide to what is recommended, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
→ READ MORE: Melanoma diagnosis
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A/Prof Rachel Roberts-Thomson, Medical Oncologist, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SA; A/Prof Robyn Saw, Surgical Oncologist, Melanoma Institute Australia, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; Alison Button-Sloan, Consumer; Dr Marcus Cheng, Radiation Oncologist Registrar, Alfred Health, VIC; Prof Anne Cust, Deputy Director, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, Chair, National Skin Cancer Committee, Cancer Council, and faculty member, Melanoma Institute Australia; Prof David Gyorki, Surgical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Dr Rhonda Harvey, Mohs Surgeon, Dermatologist, Green Square Dermatology, The Skin Hospital, Darlinghurst and Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre, RPA, NSW; David Hoffman, Consumer; A/Prof Jeremy Hudson, Southern Cross University, James Cook University, Chair of Dermatology RACGP, Clinical Director, North Queensland Skin Cancer, QLD; Dr Damien Kee, Medical Oncologist, Austin Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Clinical Research Fellow, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, VIC; Angelica Miller, Melanoma Community Support Nurse, Melanoma Institute Australia, WA; Romy Pham, 13 11 20 Consultant, QLD; A/Prof Sasha Senthi, Radiation Oncologist, Alfred Health, and Clinical Research Fellow, Victorian Cancer Agency, VIC; Dr Chistoph Sinz, Dermatologist, Melanoma Institute Australia, NSW; Dr Amelia Smit, Research Fellow, Melanoma and Skin Cancer, The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Nicole Taylor, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, NSW.
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