Apply the ABCDE rule to recognize the early signs of melanoma

NDO - Melanoma lesions of the skin, if detected early and treated according to the correct regimen, will give good results, reduce the rate of distant metastasis and have a very high 5-year survival rate.

Doctors from the Department of Plastic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Central Dermatology Hospital, have just received and treated a case of melanoma. When arriving at the hospital, the patient had a hyperpigmented lesion on the sole of his right foot, no ulcer, no pain. This lesion appeared 10 years ago, but in the past year, the black lesion has gradually increased in size, so he went to the hospital for examination.

The patient was examined and performed some blood tests, ultrasound, dermoscopy - a special test in Dermatology to detect early signs of skin cancer. After the examination and testing, the doctor made a preliminary diagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM) on the sole of the right foot. The doctors also ordered surgery to remove the entire tumor and conduct histopathological tests to accurately determine the extent of invasion and the stage of the disease, thereby providing an appropriate and timely treatment regimen, reducing the rate of near or far metastasis of melanoma.

After the biopsy of the entire lesion was successful, the doctors performed surgery to treat the melanoma of the right sole, cutting it 1 cm wider, creating a defect after cutting the cancer with a thick skin graft on the sole of the foot, and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Seven days after surgery, the grafted skin healed well, and the sentinel lymph node biopsy was found to be benign. Thus, this patient was diagnosed with melanoma T1aN0M0, stage 1A, and after surgery, no adjuvant treatment (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy) was needed, only monitoring and periodic re-examination was needed for the next 5 years.

Doctors say that if melanoma skin lesions are detected early and treated according to the correct regimen, the results will be good, the rate of distant metastasis will be reduced, and the 5-year survival rate will be very high.

The early signs of melanoma can be quite varied. In fact, patients can apply the ABCDE rule to recognize the early signs of melanoma, to check for unusual lesions on the body. A (Asymmetry): moles or hyperpigmented spots that are not symmetrical in shape; B (Border): the edges of the lesion are irregular, jagged or blurred; C (Color): the color is irregular, can include many different colors such as black, brown and even red or blue; D (Diameter): Diameter is greater than 6 mm; E (Evolving): the lesion changes in size, shape or color over time.

If the injury has one of the above characteristics, you should immediately go to a specialized hospital for timely diagnosis and treatment according to the correct regimen.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ap-dung-quy-tac-abcde-de-nhan-biet-nhung-dau-hieu-som-cua-ung-thu-te-bao-hac-to-post844790.html