Mercy's Dr. Vadim Gushchin, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, Discusses The Signs and Symptoms of Melanoma

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the United States than all other cancers combined, and one in five will develop it by age 70.

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, it is expected to kill more than 7,200 Americans this year. Most melanomas develop on the skin.

When skin cancer is caught early, it is almost always curable. Mercy surgical oncologist Dr. Vadim Gushchin, M.D., FACS, Director, The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at Mercy, said the time for prevention is early childhood. Later in life, it's important to pay close attention to your skin. If you see something change, get it checked.

"The truth is, you don't know until they biopsy it. But in order to biopsy, you need to have some suspicion that it might be melanoma. It's typically that something looks unusual," Dr. Gushchin said.

Use the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma as a guide:
A is for changes in asymmetry.
B is for border irregularity.
C is for color variation.
D is for diameter.
E is for evolution or change.

To view Mercy surgical oncologist Dr. Vadim Gushchin’s interview regarding melanoma and skin cancer signs and symptoms, click here.