4 Warning Signs of Melanoma That Are Easy to Miss

by Rachel Nania, AARP, Update June 22, 2022

• The ‘ugly duckling’: People who have lots of moles are at increased risk for melanoma. Pay attention to the moles that stand out — those that are darker than the rest, have changed recently or are more oddly shaped.
• Where the sun doesn’t shine’: Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, including “in places the sun doesn’t shine,” like the soles of the feet or the palms of the hand, says Elizabeth Quigley, M.D., a dermatologist and associate physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The cancer can also appear as a dark streak under a fingernail or toenail, which is what happened to musician Bob Marley, who initially mistook his melanoma for a bruise on the toe and eventually died from it. (A clue that you should see a doctor: a dark spot under the nail bed that doesn’t grow out with the nail over time, like a blood blister would, Buchbinder says.)
• Red, white and blue hues: While melanomas are often depicted as dark-brown moles, they can actually present in a variety of colors. The cancer may have a blue tint to it, from deeper pigmentation, says Robert Brodell, M.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Or it can appear red, the result of an immune response.
• Spots on the skin that bleed or itch: If a mole on your body starts to itch or becomes more painful or tender, you need to get it checked out. (More)