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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The skin, the largest organ of the body, is made up of living cells that grow and divide. Cancers can develop in the skin as well as in other parts of the body. When melanocytes (cells that give pigment [color] to the skin) become cancerous, this is called melanoma. Melanoma is less common than the other main types of skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell cancers) but is much more likely to metastasize (spread to other organs) and to be fatal. The December 8, 2004, issue of JAMA includes an article about melanoma.

MELANOMA WARNING SIGNS

Melanoma experts advise looking for the ABCDs of melanoma:
A. Asymmetry—the different halves of the skin lesion do not look the same
B. Borders—irregular, shaggy, or ill-formed
C. Color—not the same throughout the lesion
D. Diameter—larger than 6 millimeters (1/4 of an inch, about the size of a pencil . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Janet Torpy, MD, Writer; Cassio Lynm, MA, Illustrator; Richard M. Glass, MD, Editor

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