What is the ABCD rating system?

Cancers monitored:
Prostate cancer and melanoma (each with its own distinct alphabetical rating)

Why performed: After detecting prostate cancer, the physician will evaluate the stage of the tumor according to its size, its location, and the extent to which it may have spread to other parts of the body. This information is important for choosing the best treatment plan. Staging of prostate cancer is based on the findings of clinical tests, mainly a digital rectal examination, a test to measure the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood, and transrectal ultrasonography. Other tests may include computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and bone scans to assess the spread of the disease.

From 1975 to 1997, the ABCD rating system, or the Jewett staging system, was used to classify the stages of prostate cancer. In 1997, the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TMN) system was adopted as the predominant prostate cancer staging system. The TMN system expanded upon the earlier four-stage categorization with additional subcategories to describe tumor development more precisely.

For melanoma prevention, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends monthly skin self-examinations. The ABCDE guideline for melanoma serves as a reference when looking for any suspicious changes in the appearance of spots or sores that do not heal. Usually, this means monitoring any variation in the size, shape, or color of a new or existing mole. Any suspicious mole should be checked by a physician, who may decide to resect an abnormal-looking lesion and send the tissue for pathological review.

Results: The ABCD rating for prostate cancer was used to classify the disease into four basic stages.

• Stage A: Localized disease in which the cancer was very small, confined to the prostate gland, not palpable during a rectal examination, and identified by high PSA levels and biopsy.





• Stage B: Localized disease in which the cancer was larger and confined to the prostate gland, but a lump was palpable during a rectal examination.





• Stage C: Regional disease in which the cancer had grown through the prostate capsule and into surrounding tissues, perhaps into the seminal vesicles.





• Stage D: Metastatic disease in which the cancer had grown into the pelvic area or had spread to the lymph nodes, bones, or other parts of the body.

The ABCDE rule for melanoma detection lists the five usual warning signs of the disease for most types of melanoma.

• A (asymmetry): The two halves of the skin lesion are dissimilar.





• B (border irregularity): The lesion has ragged or poorly defined edges.





• C (color): The color of the lesion is uneven with different shades of brown or black.





• D (diameter): The lesion is usually greater than five millimeters or one-quarter inch.
  ABCD
  
  





• E (evolving): The shape, size, or color of the lesion has changed over time.

Bibliography

LaRusso, Laurie. "Melanoma." Health Library. ESBCO, June 2013. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.

"Melanoma Skin Cancer." Cancer.org. Amer. Cancer Soc., 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.

"Prostate Cancer." Cancer.org. Amer. Cancer Soc., 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.

"Prostate Cancer Staging." Medline Plus. US Natl. Lib. of Medicine, 27 Sept. 2011. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.

Silva, Juliana Hypólito, Bianca Costa Soares de Sá, Alexandre Leon Ribeiro de Ávila, Gilles Landmen, and João Pedreira Duprat Neto. "Atypical Mole Syndrome And Dysplastic Nevi: Identification of Populations At Risk for Developing Melanoma—Review Article." Clinics 66.3 (2011): 493–99. PDF file.

"Stage Information for Prostate Cancer." Prostate Cancer Treatment. Natl. Cancer Inst., Natl. Inst. of Health, 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Aug. 2014.