The Grey's Anatomy Lesson: Early Cancer Detection
Grey's Anatomy fans fear for the life of the beloved character Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) as she confronts skin cancer (melanoma). The cold reality is that skin cancer is killing one American every hour. Grey's Anatomy writers clearly want the message about skin cancer to get heard.
In addition to being aware of the 6 factors that increase your risk of skin cancer, dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf explains on RealSelf.com (How do I check for signs of skin cancer) that you can do your own observations for early detection of skin cancer. Graf explains to watch moles and for ABC and D's:
- Moles that are Asymmetric
- Moles with unclear Borders
- Color changes to dark browns or black
- Increasing size to the Diameter of a pencil eraser.
Dr. Robert Weiss, President, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, stressed these ABCD's on his appearance on Good Morning America, but added another mole patrol factor: Evolving- if your mole has a noticeable change in size or shape and begins to become itchy.
If any of the ABCDE factors appear to be at play with your moles, go to a dermatologist and get them checked out!
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