Around 112,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to be diagnosed with invasive melanoma this year, and more than 8,500 are expected to die from the disease.

Doctors say catching it early makes a big difference, as this serious type of skin cancer is highly treatable when found in time.

Dr. Igor Puzanov with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center says regular self-checks are a good place to start.

"We would recommend that, you know, people do self-checks on their skin," Puzanov said.

He points to the "ABCDEs of melanoma" as a guide to what to look for.

A stands for asymmetry, meaning one half of a spot looks different from the other.

B is for border, so look for edges that are irregular, scalloped or poorly defined.

C is for color, specifically spots with varying shades from one area to the next, such as tan, brown or black, or areas of white, red or blue.

D is for diameter, as melanomas are usually about the size of a pencil eraser but can also be smaller.

E is for evolving, which means watching for any spot that looks different from others or is changing in size, shape or color.

"These are the red flags and you should go see a dermatologist or primary doctor and then dermatologist and have a biopsy, preferably," Puzanov said.

Melanoma can grow anywhere on the body, including in the mouth, nose, under the nails and on or between the toes and fingers.

"Melanoma is more prevalent in patients with light skin. Sun damage plays a huge role, but it doesn't mean that melanoma is nonexistent with people with darker, you know, type of skin," Puzanov said.