Keep calm and remember the ABCDEs of skin cancer | THE MOM STOP

Lydia Seabol Avant. [Staff file photo/The Tuscaloosa News]
Lydia Seabol Avant. [Staff file photo/The Tuscaloosa News]

I noticed a mole recently, which was seemingly new, not regularly shaped, and somewhat large. For most people, it wouldn’t likely cause much alarm. But as someone who has had melanoma previously and someone who has multiple relatives who have also had skin cancer — I was concerned.

The problem was, the mole wasn’t on me. It was on the back of my 10-year-old son.

Like many moms out there, my first inclination was to turn to Google. If you have used Google to try and diagnose a medical condition before, you likely know that doing so can be somewhat terrifying and result in way too many scary possible diagnoses.

The good news is that melanoma and skin cancers overall are relatively rare in children. My son, who was born with white blonde hair, has unfortunately inherited my fair, sun-sensitive skin. But we’ve also always been careful with sun exposure. If he’s at a pool, he’s always wearing a rash guard swim top in addition to his swim trunks, and puts on sunscreen on any exposed skin. While he may have had faint, pink sun exposure on his cheeks during Scout camp or a day on the lake, he’s escaped the major, skin-peeling sunburns I had as kid.

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And for that I am grateful. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, on average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they have had more than five sunburns in their lifetime. But just one blistering sunburn during childhood or as a teenager more than doubles a person’s chances for developing melanoma later in life.

While there are multiple types of skin cancer, melanoma is the deadliest and most aggressive form, and most often related to sun exposure. In people 49 years old and younger, it is the most common cancer, outside of breast cancer and thyroid cancers in women.

I was 33 years old and six months pregnant with my third child when I was diagnosed. Luckily my melanoma was Stage 1 and removed from my face with clean margins, leaving an unexpected chin lift and a scar that reminds me daily of the importance of SPF. But I also have an uncle who had Stage 3 melanoma when he was in his 20s and in college. Luckily, he survived.

And so, when I noticed the mole on my son’s back — shortly after I consulted Google — I also called a dermatologist and made an appointment. And while the dermatologist agreed that it’s highly unlikely the mole is cancerous at my son’s age, it would be something we’d have to watch closely, considering the family history of skin cancer.

“And you are going to be a mole-ly kid,” the doctor pointed out, giving my son the option to come back every six months for skin checks to make sure the mole didn’t change, or to have it removed and biopsied.

My son, who never likes shots or anything medical, surprisingly didn’t even flinch.

“Let’s get rid of it,” he told the doctor.

As a mom who has had numerous skin biopsies, I couldn’t help but be proud of his bravery. And I hope that through our stressing skin safety and visits like the one we made to the dermatologist, my fair-skinned kids won’t ever have the scorching sunburns I had in childhood and adolescence. And perhaps they’ll escape having the scary melanoma diagnosis that way too many people, including me, have faced.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it is important to do a thorough body check on yourself regularly and look for the ABCDEs of skin cancer:

• A: Assymetry. Look for moles where one half is unlike the other half.

• B: Border. Irregular, scalloped or a poorly defined border around a mole could be concerning.

• C: Color. If a mole’s color is varied from one area to another, get it checked by a doctor.

• D: Diameter. While melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeter, they can be smaller.

• E: Evolving. A mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest needs to be examined by a medical professional.

Lydia Seabol Avant writes The Mom Stop for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at momstopcolumn@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Keep calm and remember the ABCDEs of skin cancer | THE MOM STOP