Melanoma

Symptoms:

ALL FORMS

• skin lesion or growth
  • usually a raised lesion such as a papule, macule, or nodule
  • color varies (brown, black, red or bluish)
  • mixture of colors in one lesion
  • irregular borders, often asymmetrical
  • a change in appearance of a pigmented skin lesion over time
  • bleeding from a skin growth

Other symptoms depend on the specific type of melanoma.

Signs and tests:

The lesion often has a typical appearance that will make the health care provider suspicious that it is a melanoma. A skin lesion biopsy will confirm the diagnosis.