You probably have at least one mole you have glanced at in the mirror and wondered about. Most of us never do more than that. For a cancer that is almost entirely survivable when caught early, that gap matters.
Melanoma is one of the few cancers where the stage at diagnosis decides almost everything. According to the American Cancer Society, people whose melanoma has not spread beyond the skin have a 5-year survival rate above 99 percent.
Once the cancer has spread to distant organs, that figure drops to 36 percent. The numbers were last updated in August 2026 and reflect US patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2021.
What AI now does in the dermatology clinic
A new generation of imaging tools can photograph the whole body in high resolution, map every mole, and flag the ones that look suspicious compared with the rest. A dermatologist then reviews the flagged lesions.
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How well do those tools work in practice? A meta-analysis published in March 2026 in JAMA Dermatology pooled 11 real-world trials with more than 2,500 patients and over 50 dermatologists.
Across the studies, AI tools matched trained dermatologists on average. Both picked up about 8 in 10 melanomas, with similar rates of false alarms. The strongest signal came when the two worked together.
In that combined setup, around 9 in 10 melanomas were caught, higher than either humans or software alone. The authors still called for broader real-world trials before AI is used routinely.
The five-letter check you can do at home tonight
The American Academy of Dermatology teaches a simple framework called ABCDE. It is what dermatologists look at first, and any adult can run through it with a mirror and good light.
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- A for asymmetry. One half of the mole does not match the other.
- B for border. The edge is irregular, scalloped, or poorly defined.
- C for color. Shades of tan, brown or black, sometimes mixed with white, red or blue.
- D for diameter. Melanomas are usually larger than a pencil eraser (about 6 millimeters), though some are smaller.
- E for evolving. The spot looks different from your other moles, or has changed in size, shape, or color, or has started to itch or bleed.
Pay close attention to places you cannot easily see on your own, such as the scalp, the soles of the feet, between the toes, and the back. Our existing guide to melanoma warning signs walks through each letter in more depth.
When a mole should send you to a doctor
Change is the single most useful signal. A mole you have had for years that now looks different, or a brand-new spot that stands out from the rest, deserves a dermatologist visit. Pay particular attention if the change has happened over weeks or months rather than years.
Other warning signs that warrant a same-week appointment include a mole that itches or bleeds, a lesion that will not heal, a spot that grows quickly, or a new mole appearing after age 40.
People with fair skin, many moles, a personal or family history of melanoma, significant sunburn history, or a weakened immune system should ask their doctor about more frequent checks.
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AI mole mapping is still used as a decision aid alongside a dermatologist, not as a replacement.
If you spot anything that fits ABCDE on your own skin, book a dermatologist appointment rather than waiting for your next routine check.
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This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.