One liver stain has grown, its edge appears washed out? This can be a sign of skin cancer (but no one must!). What matters with the skin’s self-check-and which places you quickly forget.
More and more people had had to be treated in the hospital in the past 20 years due to skin cancer. This is shown by figures from the Federal Statistical Office. So that it does not get that far in the best case, early detection is important.
We can do something ourselves by regularly looking at our liver spots. The ABCDE rule can help, whereby each letter stands for a warning sign that skin cancer may have developed. The German Cancer Society provides an overview:
Skin cancer screening: what a, b, c, d and e stand
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A like asymmetry: the – new or existing – liver stain has developed an uneven form.
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B how limitation: the edge of the liver stain is jagged, washed out, uneven or rough.
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C like color (German: color): pink, gray, brown, black: Several colors come together in a liver stain.
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D Like diameter: the liver stain has more than five millimeters in diameter or a hemisphere.
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E As grandeur: the liver stain protrudes more than a millimeter beyond the skin level and/or has a rough and scaly surface.
These parts of the body are quickly forgotten
Liver spots on arms or legs quickly catch our eye. But they can also be located on parts of the body that we do not have so easy – for example between the fingers or toes or under the soles of the feet, according to the Cancer Society. There can also be liver spots on the scalp.
It therefore makes sense to help a hand mirror and maybe also ask the partner: “Can you look at my back, whether you notice anything?”
Have the abnormalities clarified
If you notice something in the self-check, you shouldn’t be shy about having this change clarified in the dermatologist practice. According to the Cancer Society, the motto applies here: it is better to be unnecessary than too late. Many practices offer special consultation hours for timely clarification of conspicuous liver spots.
From 35 years: claim to skin cancer screening
Good to know: From the age of 35, legally insured persons are entitled to a skin cancer screening every two years, which can be carried out in terms of skin: inside, but also general practitioners: can carry out the inside with appropriate further training. The doctor systematically searches the skin for abnormalities, the examination takes around ten to 20 minutes.
The Cancer Society also gives a tip for a good preparation of the screening: Remove nail polish from foot or fingernails in advance- because there can also be skin changes among them.
Avoid skin cancer
Excessive UV radiation and sunburn can trigger skin cancer. Doctors: Inside, it therefore recommends avoiding strong sun, protecting yourself through suitable clothes and using sunscreen:
Read more on utopia.de:
- Skin cancer risk from sun: Every place without a shadow is “a dangerous place”
- Sunscreen for children in the test: All test winners 2022 to 2024
- Doctor suffered from skin cancer 18 times and warns: “Check how you apply cream”
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