Self-screening at home

As skin cancer screening is only paid for from the age of 35 and even then only every 2 years, it is recommended to supplement professional screening with self-screening at home. The procedure is similar to the professional screening at the doctor’s office. Since the entire body surface should be examined, it is best to do the examination after showering or bathing in front of a full body mirror.

Ultimately, this is also about looking at the entire body surface and discovering conspicuous skin marks. No special previous knowledge is required for this. It is always suspicious when a mole stands out in comparison to the others in its surroundings. Even strong changes in shape or color within a short period of time can be an indication of a malignant event. A further help in the assessment is the so-called ABCDE rule.

ABCDE Rule

All in all, however, with the help of the ABCDE rule it is possible to detect many skin changes at an early stage and thus have them checked by a doctor. However, self-examination should not be seen as a substitute for skin cancer screening by a specialist. It only serves as a supplement, in order to detect and control new findings earlier.

“A” stands for “asymmetry”. Benign moles are usually symmetrical in themselves, which means they can be mirrored on any axis. Mostly they are round or oval.
“B” stands for “limitation”.
Benign moles should have smooth edges and not look frayed.
“C” stands for “Colorit”, the color of the stain. Suspicious here are stains that contain many different colors, especially if they contain pink, grey or black spots. Crusty deposits can also be signs of malignant growth.
“D” stands for the “diameter”. All skin marks that are larger than 5mm should be seen by a dermatologist.
“E” for “evolution”, i.e. how much a mole or birthmark changes. In principle, size increase, itching or bleeding are suspicious.