ABCDE rule to check moles for skin cancer after John Cena revealed diagnosis
The ABCDE rule is a simple guide that can help identify potential signs of skin cancer.
This comes after John Cena recently revealed his skin cancer diagnosis to raise awareness of what can happen if you don't take appropriate action.
The 47-year-old was diagnosed with cancer twice in his early twenties when a dermatologist removed the cancerous spot from his right pectoral area.
A year later, another cancerous spot was detected and removed from his right shoulder.
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The WWE legend has now joined forces with Neutrogena for its 'Sunscreen You Can’t See’ campaign. It's brilliantly named after his famous 'you can't see me' phrase.
Cena told People that he 'never' wore any sun cream on his skin, from growing up in Massachusetts to moving to 'Sunshine State' Florida.
After falling 'in love with the sun' when he moved to Florida, the Trainwreck actor admits that he was too 'stubborn' to implement a sun cream routine.
"I also thought the problem would never reach me," he admitted. "And it's one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection and it caught up with me."
Now, there's a simple ABCDE guide that can help identify early signs of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Skin cancer happens to be one of the most common types of cancer for those aged 15 to 24.
According to the NHS, 'the main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds'.
"Things that increase your chances of getting melanoma include your age and having pale skin, a large number of moles and a family history of skin cancer," it adds.
The ABCDE rule for skin cancer
Asymmetry
The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that one half of the mole will not match the other.
"If you draw a line through the middle of the lesion, the two halves don’t match, so it looks different from a round to oval and symmetrical common mole," it explains.
Border
Melanoma borders tend to be have jagged edges, which could indicate a problem. Wheres healthy moles typically have smooth, well-defined borders.
Colour
If your mole has 'multiple colours', then this could be a 'warning sign'.
"While benign moles are usually a single shade of brown, a melanoma may have different shades of brown, tan or black. As it grows, the colours red, white or blue may also appear," the foundation states.
Diameter
Moles larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil rubber) should be monitored.
Although 'some experts say it is important to look for any lesion, no matter what size, that is darker than others. Rare, amelanotic melanomas are colourless'.
Evolving
Any changes in size, shape, colour, or texture, or new symptoms like itching or bleeding, should be evaluated by a doctor.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Anish Vij