About half of melanomas start with a change in normal looking skin. This usually looks like a dark area or an abnormal new mole. The other half of melanomas develop from a mole or freckle that you already have.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between a melanoma and a normal mole. The following checklist (known as the ABCDE list) will give you an idea of what to look out for:

• Asymmetry – Melanomas are likely to be irregular or asymmetrical. Ordinary moles are usually symmetrical (both halves look the same)

• Border – Melanomas are more likely to have an irregular border with jagged edges. Moles usually have a well-defined regular border.

• Colour – Melanomas tend to have more than one colour. They may have different shades like brown mixed with black, red, pink, white or a bluish tint. Moles are usually one shade of brown.

• Diameter – Melanomas are usually more than 7mm in diameter. Moles are normally no bigger than the blunt end of a pencil (about 6mm across).

• Evolving (changing) – Look for changes in the size, shape or colour of a mole.

See your doctor straight away if you have:

• any of the ABCDE signs
• a mole that is changing in size, shape or colour
• tingling or itching in a mole
• crusting or bleeding in a mole
• something growing under a nail or a new pigmented line in a nail.

Melanoma can usually be cured if it’s found at an early stage.