Melanoma Doesn’t Always Appear As a Changing Mole — Lesser-Known Signs

In 2025, close to 105,000 Americans will receive a melanoma diagnosis, which is the most serious form of skin cancer. The bright spot in the otherwise dark world of skin cancer is that death rates of melanoma have declined considerably thanks to early detection and advanced treatments.

This May, in recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Juan-Carlos Caballero and our expert team at Warrenton Dermatology & Skin Therapy Center are here to explain that melanoma doesn’t always appear as an atypical mole — here are a few lesser-known signs of this invasive disease. 

Melanoma and moles

First, let’s review our “ABCs” of melanoma. While our goal is to discuss lesser-known signs of the disease, moles are still the key way in which this cancer is often discovered.

More specifically, we want you to look for changes in moles that fit the ABCDE guidelines for atypical moles, which are:

• A — is the mole asymmetrical?
• B — are the borders of the mole notched, blurry, or uneven?
• C — most moles are one shade or hue; moles that have melanoma may have two or more colors within the same lesion (i.e., brown, red, black, white, blue)
• D — is the diameter of the mole larger than a pencil eraser?
• E — this stands for evolving, or moles that change shape, color, and size

If you have a mole that fits any of these characteristics, come see us for an in-office skin exam sooner rather than later.

Melanoma beyond skin moles

Now let’s move past the moles to other signs (and locations) of melanoma. This type of skin cancer is most often a result of UV exposure, so the moles associated with melanoma often turn up in those areas of your skin that are most exposed.

That said, melanoma can develop in other areas that are far less obvious, such as:

• Under a finger or toenail — the melanoma shows up as a dark spot or streak
• On your back — the back is the most common place for melanoma
• On the palms of your hands — the cancer shows up as a dark spot in these areas
• On the soles of your feet — again, look for a darker patch of skin
• On the iris in your eye — it shows up as a dark spot in the color part of your eye
• In your mouth, nose, or genitals — this is a rare form of skin cancer called mucosal melanoma 

In addition to these uncommon locations, melanoma can have other signs, such as:

• A sore on your skin that doesn’t heal
• A change in sensation on your skin, such as a patch of itchiness
• Pigment that bleeds out from an existing mole into the surrounding skin

With skin cancer, what you should be on the lookout for are any changes or abnormalities in the appearance or in the sensations in your skin. And we urge you to err on the side of caution here — if something develops on your skin that you’re just not sure about, come in and let us take a look. 

Schedule your next skin exam today

To schedule a skin exam at Warrenton Dermatology & Skin Therapy Center, in Warrenton, Virginia, call 540-341-1900 today, or request an appointment online at your convenience.