BLINK is a checklist devised by Dr. Peter Bourne, an Australian skin cancer expert, to help patients and doctors more easily decide what skin lesions need to be biopsied and which ones can be observed. This posting is intended to inform patients so that they can be real partners in the process. The handout has been created by Yoon Cohen, a medical student who plans a career in dermatology. Please contact her with questions, comments and suggestions. Email Y.C.
See the BLINK pdf: Download BLINK Patient Handout
BLINK Checklist
B (Benign): Is the lesion immediately recognizable as a common benign lesion?
If the answer is ‘yes’, no further action is required.
If the answer is ‘no’, then proceed to the following:
L (Lonely): Is the lesion the only one of its type on that region of the body?
‘Yes’ scores 1
I (Irregular): Is the lesion dermatoscopically irregular? An asymmetrical pigmentation pattern and more than one color?
‘Yes’ scores 1
N (Nervous and/or Change): Is the patient nervous that lesion may be a skin cancer? Does the patient, or another observer, feel that the lesion is changing?
‘Yes’ scores 1
K (Known clues): Does the lesion have any dermatoscopic clues to malignancy?
‘Yes’ scores 1
If the lesion scores 2 or more out of 4, it is recommended to be biopsied.
Yoon Cohen, a 4th year medical student from Maine produced this document
