---
title: "What Does Skin Cancer Look Like: Early Stages | AccessHope"
description: Learn to protect your skin health by recognizing the early signs of skin cancer. Check out AccessHope's guide to know how to spot the early signs today.
---

[Knowledge vs. Cancer | A blog by AccessHope ](https://www.myaccesshope.org/blog)

# [What Does Skin Cancer Look Like: Early Stages | AccessHope](https://www.myaccesshope.org/blog/how-to-find-skin-cancer-early)

 Written by [AccessHope](https://www.myaccesshope.org/blog/author/accesshope) | Feb 8, 2021 2:44:00 PM

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.1 To catch it as early as possible—at its most treatable stage, do the ABCDE check on suspicious skin lesion monthly and consult a doctor if the mole has2

- **Asymmetry:** Two halves that don’t match
- **Border:** An uneven border
- **Color:** Multiple shades of tan, brown, or black; or unusual colors such as red, purple, or blue
- **Diameter:** A diameter longer than 6 mm (about the size of a pencil eraser)
- **Evolution:** A different size, shape, or color over time

[→ Download the infographic](https://www.myaccesshope.org/hubfs/AH%20member%20content%202026/ah-info-skin-04-25-2025.pdf)

 

 

 

Last updated February 18, 2021

**References**

**1** Sarnoff DS. [Skin cancer 101](https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/). Skin Cancer Foundation Web site. https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information. Updated February 2020. Accessed November 23, 2020.

**2** Check yourself: A visual guide to skin cancer self-exams (w/ infographic). City of Hope Breakthroughs Blog. https://www.cityofhope.org/breakthroughs/a-visual-guide-to-skin-cancer-self-exams. Published May 9, 2018. Accessed January 19, 2021.

[View full post](https://www.myaccesshope.org/blog/how-to-find-skin-cancer-early)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "AccessHope"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-05-11T20:39:45.916Z",
  "datePublished" : "2021-02-08T14:44:00Z",
  "headline" : "How to find skin cancer early",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 683,
    "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/8332333/Image%20Assets/Prevention%20blog%20posts/skin%20cancer%20featured%20image.jpg",
    "width" : 1024
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.myaccesshope.org/blog/how-to-find-skin-cancer-early",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Blog"
  }
}
```