What are the early warning signs of melanoma?

I always tell my patients to look out for the ugly duckling and so this is the lesion that is new or changing or just doesn't feel right. An easy mnemonic to remember what to look out for when you're thinking about melanoma is A, B, C, D, E. A for asymmetry, B for a regular border, C for colour variation, D for increasing diameter and E for evolution. The E probably being the most important so looking out for any change and don't hesitate to get something that you're worried about checked.