Slide show: Melanoma pictures to help identify skin cancer

Melanoma — a serious form of skin cancer — is often curable if you find it early. These melanoma pictures can help you determine what to look for.

Follow this self-examination guide, adapted from the American Academy of Dermatology's A-B-C-D guide, to determine if an unusual mole or suspicious spot on your skin may be melanoma.

Asymmetrical skin growths, in which one half is different from the other, may indicate melanoma. Here, the left side of the mole is dark and a little raised, whereas the right side is lighter in color and flat.

Melanomas tend to have borders that are vaguely defined. Growths with irregular, notched or scalloped borders need to be examined by a doctor.

Multiple colors or uneven distribution of color may indicate cancer. Generally, growths that are a uniform color are noncancerous.

The large size of a skin growth may be an indication of cancer. A rapid increase in size over weeks or months may indicate cancer. Have your doctor check out any growth larger than the diameter of a pencil eraser (6 millimeters).