Conspicuous skin changes

The skin changes, which are mainly looked for during the preventive medical checkup, can be assessed according to the so-called “ABCDE rule”. If two or more of these criteria apply to a suspicious birthmark, precautionary removal of the stain is recommended.

A(=Asymmetry): This is true, if the birthmark is irregularly shaped, i.e. it does not have a smooth, round/oval/elongated shape, but looks rather jagged and unshaped.
This criterion is also considered to be fulfilled if a pre-existing birthmark begins to change its shape.
B(=limitation): It is considered conspicuous if the birthmark has no sharp edge, but is blurred or jagged and fused with the surrounding skin. Thereby, many smaller runners are often formed, which radiate into the healthy skin.
C(=Color): “Color” means “color” translated from English. A birthmark is conspicuous if it consists of different colors, i.e. if it is not uniformly colored.
Especially if the birthmark contains pink, grey or black spots or crusty coatings, it should be examined by a dermatologist. There could be a malignant skin cancer behind it.
D(=diameter): In general, all moles that exceed a diameter of 5mm at the widest point should be examined by a dermatologist. The same applies to moles that have the shape of a hemisphere.
E(=Riseness): If you notice that the birthmark rises above the normal skin level, you should consult a dermatologist if possible.

Surgical removal is the most important measure for all skin cancers.

The earlier a conspicuous skin change is removed as a whole, the better the chances of recovery. Especially in the case of tumors that are in an early stage, i.e. have not yet penetrated into deeper skin layers or spread to other parts of the body (metastases), complete removal of the tissue leads to a cure. Care should be taken to ensure a sufficient safety margin, which means that around the visible tumor about one to two centimeters more tissue is removed.

In the case of skin cancer of the face, the large safety distance can be dispensed with for cosmetic reasons and instead a more complex microscopically controlled removal can be considered, in which a complete removal of the malignant tissue is also ensured. In exceptional cases of white skin cancer, a non-surgical therapeutic measure can also be chosen if surgery is not possible, for example, due to the age or previous illnesses of the person affected. However, surgical removal is the so-called gold standard for all forms of skin cancer, even at an advanced age.