Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Detection and Isolation of Circulating Melanoma Cells using Photoacoustic Flowmetry
Published on: November 25, 2011
Clinical ABCDE rule for early melanoma detection
Ana F Duarte1, Bernardo Sousa-Pinto2, Luís F Azevedo3
1Centro de Dermatologia Epidermis, Instituto CUF, Porto, Portugal, CINTESIS - Centre for Health Technology and Services Research, University of Porto, Portugal.
Background:
The ABCDE rule systematizes warning signs for malignant melanoma (MM).
Objectives:
To evaluate whether the ABCDE signs are associated with early detection of MM.
Materials & Methods:
Based on a retrospective study over 11.5 years, we assessed whether ABCDE signs are associated with early diagnosis of MM.
Results:
In total, 144 MM were included; 52 (36.1%) in situ and 92 (63.9%) invasive lesions. For 23.6%, the MM were first suspected by an individual other than a dermatologist. The "E sign" was significantly less frequent among in situ lesions (32.7% versus 50.0%; p = 0.044). Based on adjusted analyses, the probability of MM being first suspected by a non-dermatologist consistently increased with the number of ABCDE signs of the lesion, ranging from 8% for a neoplasm with no ABCDE signs to 32% for a lesion with five signs (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.2; p = 0.004).
Conclusion:
A higher number of ABCDE signs were associated with a greater chance of MM being first suspected by a non-dermatologist, but not in situ MM diagnosis. Relying on the ABCDE rule alone might result in missing early MM lesions.
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