MelanomaMonday.com
Monday, May 4, 2026

Five minutes today could save your life.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer — and one of the most curable when caught early. This page walks you through a 5-minute self-check, helps you find a free screening, and shows today's UV where you are.

Start the 5-minute check Find a free skin check
~99%  vs.  ~35%
5-year relative survival when melanoma is found early (localized) vs. after it has spread (distant). Source: NCI SEER, U.S. data 2014–2020. What do "localized" and "distant" mean? See staging →

Era note: the ~35% reflects 2014–2020 SEER data — before combination immunotherapy was widely used and before TIL therapy was approved (Amtagvi, FDA 2024). Outcomes for today's Stage IV patients on current treatment can be substantially better. More context →

This is education, not a diagnosis. Anything that worries you should be seen by a dermatologist.

Check a spot

The ABCDE warning signs, with a guided 5-question walkthrough.

Prevent melanoma

Sun safety, who's higher-risk, and what actually helps.

Just diagnosed

A first-two-weeks orientation and questions for your doctor.

Living with melanoma & caregivers

Practical guidance for partners, family, and friends.
Step 1 — Know the warning signs

The ABCDEs of melanoma

Dermatologists use five letters — the ABCDE framework — to describe what makes a mole or skin spot suspicious. None of these on its own confirms melanoma — but any of them is a reason to have a board-certified dermatologist take a look.

Heads-up for darker skin: melanoma in skin of color often appears on the palms, soles, under the nails, or on the inside of the mouth — places where ABCDE is less applicable. Read where to look on darker skin →

A — Asymmetry

If you draw a line through the middle of the spot, the two halves don't match. Common moles are usually symmetric.

B — Border

Edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. Healthy moles tend to have smooth, well-defined borders.

C — Color

Color isn't uniform. There may be different shades of brown or black, or patches of pink, red, white, or blue. Healthy moles are typically a single color throughout.

~6 mm

D — Diameter

Larger than 6 millimeters — about the size of a pencil eraser. Many melanomas are larger than this when found, but they can be smaller, so don't dismiss a small spot that has other warning signs.

Then Now

E — Evolving

The spot is changing in size, shape, color, or behavior. New itching, bleeding, crusting, or a sore that doesn't heal also count. Change over time is the single strongest warning sign.

There's also the "ugly duckling" sign: a spot that simply looks different from your other moles, even if it doesn't fit ABCDE neatly. Trust that instinct and get it checked.

While you're checking

Melanoma isn't the only skin cancer

The ABCDE framework above is for melanoma. The two other common skin cancers — basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma — usually don't fit ABCDE at all. They're far more common than melanoma, and they're worth knowing about while you're checking.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

The most common skin cancer overall. Almost never spreads, but can keep growing locally and damage tissue if ignored. Often appears on the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders, or back.

What it can look like: a pearly or waxy bump; a flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like patch; a sore that bleeds, scabs, heals, and returns.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)

The second most common skin cancer. Can spread, though most are caught and cured early. Same sun-exposed areas as BCC, plus the lips, ears, and the backs of the hands.

What it can look like: a firm red nodule; a flat, scaly, crusty patch; a sore that won't heal; a raised growth with a central depression that may bleed.

Two more to know:

  • Actinic keratoses (AKs) — rough, scaly, sandpaper-like patches from years of sun exposure, usually on the face, ears, scalp, forearms, or backs of the hands. They're precancerous, not cancer themselves, but a small share progress to SCC, so dermatologists treat them when found.
  • Merkel cell carcinoma — rare, but fast-growing and aggressive. Usually shows up as a firm, painless, shiny, flesh-colored or bluish-red bump on sun-exposed skin (face, neck, arms), most often in older or immunosuppressed patients. New, rapidly enlarging painless bumps in those groups warrant a prompt dermatologist visit.
The simple cue for non-melanoma skin cancers: anything new, growing, or non-healing on sun-exposed skin — particularly something that bleeds, scabs, and comes back — should be looked at. All three of these cancers are highly treatable when caught early.

Sources: AAD — Skin cancer types · ACS — Basal and squamous cell skin cancer · ACS — Merkel cell skin cancer · AAD — Actinic keratosis

Step 2 — How to do it

A 5-minute head-to-toe self-check

Find a well-lit room, a full-length mirror, and a hand mirror. Get fully undressed. The goal isn't a diagnosis — it's to notice what's there today, so you can spot what's different next month.

Front to back

  • Face, ears, lips, neck
  • Chest and torso (lift breasts to check underneath)
  • Underarms, both sides of arms, palms and backs of hands
  • Between fingers and under fingernails
  • Front and back of legs, soles of feet, between toes, under toenails

Hard-to-see areas

  • Use the hand mirror for the back of your neck, shoulders, and back
  • Buttocks and the backs of the legs
  • Scalp — part hair in sections with a comb, or ask a partner
  • Genital area
  • Soles of the feet (a common site that's easy to miss)

Tip: take phone photos of any spots you want to keep an eye on, with a coin or ruler next to them for scale. Compare the photos at your next monthly check.

Background

Risk factors and prevention

Who's at higher risk

  • A history of frequent or severe sunburns, especially in childhood
  • Heavy lifetime UV exposure (sun or tanning beds)
  • Fair skin, light hair, light eyes — though all skin types can develop melanoma
  • 50 or more moles, or moles that look unusual (dysplastic nevi)
  • A personal or family history of skin cancer
  • A weakened immune system (e.g., organ transplant recipients)
  • Older age — though melanoma is also one of the most common cancers in young adults

What actually helps

  • Broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen daily, reapplied every 2 hours outdoors
  • A wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and UPF clothing when outside
  • Shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. — your shadow shorter than you means UV is high
  • No tanning beds. Indoor tanning before age 35 raises melanoma risk by about 75%.
  • A monthly self-check, plus a yearly dermatologist exam if you're higher-risk

Sources: CDC, AAD, American Cancer Society, World Health Organization. See full glossary →

Today's sun risk

UV index where you are right now

UV is what damages skin and drives most melanoma risk. The higher the number, the faster damage occurs — and the more important hat, shade, and sunscreen become. UV drives most, but not all, melanoma risk — see Skin of color for non-UV presentations.

Click the button to look up today's UV where you are. We use a one-time IP geolocation; nothing is stored.

Privacy: location is approximated from your IP address by ipapi.co and sent to open-meteo.com for the forecast. This page doesn't store anything.

Step 3 — Make it a habit

Set a 5-minute monthly reminder

Once a year isn't enough. Dermatologists recommend a self-exam every month — that's how you notice change, the strongest warning sign. Add a recurring monthly nudge to your calendar in two clicks.

Add to Google Calendar

Both options set a recurring event on the 1st of every month. You can edit the time after import. Prefer paper? Print a free worksheet →

Remind a loved one too (optional — adds them as a guest)

For partners, parents, or anyone who skips checks. Important: if you save the Google Calendar event with their email or send the .ics file, your calendar app — not this site — will email them an invite. Make sure they're expecting it. This site doesn't store their email; it's only embedded in the calendar invite you create.

Your skin-check streak

Stays on this device. No account, no upload — just a count to keep you honest.

0 months in a row

Free screenings in the U.S.

Find a free skin check near you

The American Academy of Dermatology runs the SPOTme® program, which lists free skin cancer screenings offered by volunteer dermatologists across the country.

Search SPOTme screenings

If there's nothing nearby

  • Ask a dermatologist directly. Many practices accept self-referrals. A full-body skin exam is often covered by insurance, especially with a documented risk factor or specific concern — check your plan.
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) offer sliding-scale care if you're uninsured. Find one at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
  • Academic dermatology programs at teaching hospitals frequently host free screening days, especially during May.
  • If something looks suspicious right now, don't wait for a free event. A biopsy is fast, low-cost, and decisive.
Trusted organizations

Where to learn more or get help

This site is independent and not affiliated with any of the organizations below. Listed alphabetically.

Information & advocacy

For patients and caregivers

Find care