EARLY DETECTION FOR CHILDREN 10 AND YOUNGER
In children under the age of 10, flat melanomas (superficial spreading melanoma) are less common, and the ABCDE criteria are only present in less than 40% of cases. In general, Melanoma in children who are 10 years or younger is much more rare than in children who are 11 or older.
In younger children, melanoma tends to be pink or red. This is called amelanotic. The mole will also be elevated, firm (nodular), and are thicker compared to melanoma found in older children
The ‘ABCD’ criteria can be used for melanoma in children under the age of 10:
- A = Amelanotic (lesion is skin-coloured to red)
- B = Bleeding. The mole will bleed periodically.
- C = Colour uniformity. Unlike melanoma in children over the age of 11, these moles can be a single colour and may not be a variety of colours you would typically see in a melanoma
- D = De novo (it is a new mole)/diameter
What Does it Look Like?
