A recent study showed there are certain factors that are associated with early detection of melanoma. In France in 2004, the people who were diagnosed with melanoma were more likely to be:
- Young
- Living in an area with many dermatologists
- Diagnosed by a dermatologist
A great website to help patients keep an eye on their moles between visits to the dermatologist is http://www.skinofmine.com
On that site patients can upload a photo of a mole, get ABCD type feedback, compare their mole to a database of moles, and track changes in their mole over time. The idea is to get the patient into the doctor’s office sooner than they otherwise would if they see any warnings. They can also share photos and comments with their doctor.