• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Doctor urges people to do 'ABCDE' checklist if concerned about common type of cancer for adults in 20s

Home> News> Health

Published 12:23 16 Jan 2025 GMT

Doctor urges people to do 'ABCDE' checklist if concerned about common type of cancer for adults in 20s

There's a quick list of things for you to run through

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

While your risk of developing cancer is typically higher as you get older there is no absolute guarantee that age will protect you.

There are many people who have been unlucky enough to get cancer at a young age, and among the types of cancer that people in their first full decade of adulthood some are more prevalent than others.

One of the more common types to strike people in their 20s is melanoma, a dangerous type of skin cancer.

According to the NHS, skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer for those aged 15 to 24, with 15 percent of cases in young adults being skin cancer, and is among the most threatening for 25 to 29-year-olds.

Advert

The main cause of melanoma is exposure to ultraviolet light, with UV radiation coming from the sun and tanning beds, and while it is more common for older people it is among the more common types of cancer people in their 20s can get.

A lot of people will develop moles on their skin over their life, but telling the difference between a mole and melanoma can be difficult if you don't know what to look out for (Getty Stock Image)
A lot of people will develop moles on their skin over their life, but telling the difference between a mole and melanoma can be difficult if you don't know what to look out for (Getty Stock Image)

People with paler skin, red or blonde hair, blue or green eyes and lots of freckles or moles are more vulnerable to this type of cancer but as is always the case with cancer there's no such thing as a guarantee of safety.

For people wondering if a mark on their skin is actually cancer or just a mole a doctor has said people can use an 'ABCDE' checklist to take a look at it and decide for themselves.

What is the 'ABCDE' checklist?

Dr Anthony Youn explained that you should look out for five things in a mark you fear may be a sign of skin cancer.

Advert

He said: "Follow the 'ABCDE' rule. A, asymmetry, B, border irregularity, C, multiple colours, D, diameter greater than a pencil eraser and E, evolving."

In case you're not sure exactly what dimensions to be using when looking at the diameter the doctor said that you should be using 6mm as your guide, and please remember that diameter is the entire span of it from end to end and not the distance between the edge and the middle point.

Other doctors have also recommended the 'ABCDE' checklist, as while we've all got moles on our skin which are basically harmless it's important to tell the difference between a mole and melanoma.

NHS advice to reduce your risk of melanoma involves staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, wearing clothing that covers your skin and shields you from UV rays and making proper use of sunscreen.

Advert

The same advice went double for children, as their skin is more sensitive to the scorching power of UV than adult skin.

According to Cancer Research UK, around 87 percent of people diagnosed with skin cancer are still alive 10 years later, and while it can affect people in their 20s the most vulnerable to developing it are people in their 80s.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image/@‌DoctorYoun/YouTube

Topics: Cancer, Health

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Everything we know about Texas floods that have killed at least 121 as Trump arrives at disaster site

    The President and the First Lady have headed to the state one week after the horror floods wreaked havoc

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Scientists make surprising discovery at what lies under Antarctic ice sheet after its been covered in ice for 34 million years

    It could help scientists predict the future of the ice sheet

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Paedophile to be surgically castrated after raping girl, 6, in nation's shock new punishment tactic

    It comes a year after a law was passed in Madagascar permitting the controversial punishment

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Scientists think they've worked out what unknown interstellar object in our solar system is

    It came from outside our own solar system

    News
  • Woman diagnosed with common type of cancer warns ‘don’t ignore these symptoms’
  • Experts suggest main reasons why certain cancer type is rising in young people worldwide
  • Doctor shares the five ‘red flag signs’ of cancer that people should never ignore
  • Doctor shares the common cancer symptoms that some people may dismiss over summer