Screening check
Should I get a skin cancer screening exam?
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, though most skin cancers are not dangerous. The US Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether people with no signs of it should have a skin exam by a clinician. Check what it says for you.
About you
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about skin cancer screening for you.
Educational only, not medical advice. This is not a skin check. Show any changing spot to a clinician.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, April 2023 recommendation on screening for skin cancer. It is the current statement.
Validated in
Adolescents and adults without signs or symptoms of skin cancer and without a history of skin cancer or precancerous skin lesions.
Limits
It is not a skin check and cannot tell whether a spot is cancer. It does not cover people with a suspicious spot, a personal or family history, or high-risk surveillance.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Adolescents and adults without signs or symptoms | Evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of a visual skin exam by a clinician to screen for skin cancer | I |
The 2023 statement matches the 2016 one. It does not apply to people with a personal or family history of skin cancer, to people with symptoms such as changes in the size, shape or color of skin growths or irregular moles, or to people already under surveillance for a high risk (USPSTF 2023). Clinicians are asked to use their judgment about screening (USPSTF 2023).
Why it matters
There are two main types of skin cancer: melanoma, and keratinocyte carcinoma (basal and squamous cell carcinoma). Keratinocyte carcinoma is more common, but melanoma causes more deaths. Melanoma is about 1% of skin cancers, with an estimated 98,000 new US cases and 8,000 deaths in 2023 (USPSTF 2023). Five-year survival for melanoma ranges from 99.5% when it is localized to 31.9% once it has spread to distant parts of the body (USPSTF 2023).
Why the evidence falls short
A visual skin exam by a clinician has modest accuracy for finding melanoma, but it has mostly been studied in people with fair skin, and there is little evidence on how well it finds keratinocyte carcinoma (USPSTF 2023). There was inadequate evidence that screening lowers illness or death from skin cancer (USPSTF 2023). Possible harms include scarring from biopsies, worry, and overdiagnosis leading to overtreatment (USPSTF 2023).
Common questions
What raises the risk?
UV exposure from the sun, tanning beds and other UV devices is the major environmental risk factor. Frequent sunburns, older age and male sex also raise the risk. For melanoma, more moles, atypical moles, and a personal or family history add to it (USPSTF 2023). Fair skin, light eyes and red or blond hair are linked to higher melanoma risk (USPSTF 2023).
Does darker skin mean no risk?
No. Melanoma is about 30 times more common in White people than in Black people, but people with darker skin are often diagnosed at later stages. The most common melanoma in Black people appears on skin that gets little sun, such as the palms, the soles of the feet or under the nails (USPSTF 2023).
What does a clinician look for?
One common guide is the "ABCDE" rule: asymmetry, border irregularity, uneven color, a diameter over 6 mm, and evolution (change) over time. Another is the "ugly duckling" sign, a mole that looks different from the others (USPSTF 2023).
Also see the skin cancer prevention (sun protection) check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Skin Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2023;329(15):1290-1295. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/skin-cancer-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.