Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, is rare in children. Between 300 and 400 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year1. Because it is so rare, many childhood melanomas are found in the later stages when treatment becomes more involved.
To help parents find melanoma early, when it’s highly treatable, dermatologists want parents to know that melanoma can look different in children than it does in adults. The ABCDEs of melanoma still apply, but you also want to look for the following signs.
-
Red, pink, purple, or flesh-colored spot or growth. In adults, melanoma often has more than one color, and you’ll usually see brown or black as one of the colors. In children, melanoma can be one single color, and it may not be black or brown.
-
Bleeding or itchy spot or growth. Studies reveal that many childhood melanomas bleed or are very itchy.
-
Growth that looks like an open sore. The open sore may heal and return.
-
Bump on the skin that’s growing rapidly. In adults, melanoma tends to be flat. In children, it’s often raised.
If you see a mole (or growth) that is growing quickly and is now larger than your child’s other moles, it’s time to have a board-certified dermatologist or pediatric dermatologist examine it.
-
Dark streak beneath a fingernail or toenail. This can be a sign of melanoma, so it’s best to have a board-certified dermatologist or pediatric dermatologist examine it.
