However, moles always stay for years, unlike freckles, which tend to be smaller and paler and can temporarily pop out after sun exposure. Sun exposure and hormones can make them darker, or they can become raised, and flatten again, or grow paler. It is when a mole changes quickly that it is worth getting it seen by a doctor.
Look out for rapid changes in shape, fuzzy edges developing, growing larger or bleeding easily. Most moles have only one or two colours, whereas cancerous moles — melanoma s — can be an uneven mixture of light brown, dark brown, black, red or pink.
Ragged edges, very large moles and bleeding, itching, swollen, crusty or inflamed moles all warrant a visit to the GP. But while the overall outlook is good, it depends on what stage the cancer has reached when it is detected, and therefore whether it has had time to spread. Non-melanoma skin cancer is far more common, but rarely spreads. A spitz nevus is a type of mole that looks a lot like melanoma.
Most of the time, they appear during childhood and early adolescence, but adults can sometimes get them too. Spitz nevi tend to be raised, dome-shaped moles that are pink in color, but they may also have other colors, like brown, black, and red. They may bleed or ooze, which makes them difficult to differentiate from melanoma.
According to experts, having certain types of moles can put you at higher risk for developing melanoma. For example, congenital and atypical moles have a greater chance of becoming cancerous, and people who have many moles may also be at higher risk.
Melanoma is a deadly type of skin cancer that affects the cells that produce melanin — the pigment in the skin. These cells are called the melanocytes. Melanoma most often occurs in adults, but it can develop in people at any age.
It also tends to occur in people with light hair, skin, and eyes, but anyone can get melanoma. It can grow anywhere on the skin, including the eyes, mouth, genitals, internal organs, and under the nails, but it most frequently appears on the torso, arms, and legs. The ABCDEs of melanoma may help your doctor diagnose melanoma, but not all forms of melanoma will show every telltale sign of cancer.
Learn more about the ABCDEs of melanoma so you will know what to look for when checking your own skin for signs of cancer. If you have any signs or symptoms of melanoma , contact your doctor right away to get a professional skin exam.
If you have any new moles or notice changes to an existing mole, you should get checked by a dermatologist. Any change to a mole can be a sign of melanoma. Pay careful attention to changes in the size, shape or color of moles anywhere on your skin. Not all melanomas will have all the above characteristics, so if you notice any of them, make an appointment with a dermatologist.
Most moles do not need to be treated, but sometimes dermatologists remove moles. There are several reasons your mole may be removed, including:.
Your mole is bothering you; your clothes might rub against it and cause irritation, or it might be in a spot that is prone to being touched often. There are two common procedures used to remove moles — surgical excision and surgical shave.
For example, a burn to the area surrounding a flat mole may damage the skin so that the mole is no longer visible. Raised moles may be accidentally torn off. The area may bleed and scar, or even become infected. When a mole is torn off, it may be temporarily less visible.
However, the melanocytes that initially caused the mole will still be present after an injury and may cause the mole to regrow. Over time, some cancerous moles may disappear. If the cancer has spread in a process called metastasis to other areas of the body, the cancer is still present in the body even if the mole has disappeared. The immune system may be able to reduce the size of a cancerous mole. In some cases, the mole may disappear altogether. This process is called regression and occurs in percent of all melanomas.
In people whose cancer has not metastasized to other areas of the body, this regression may completely cure the cancer. However, when the cancer spreads to other regions of the body, the disappearance of a mole does not mean cancer has disappeared elsewhere in the body. A study details the case of a man with melanoma whose visible mole disappeared.
The same study notes that the disappearance of a cancerous mole is extremely rare. Researchers have published only 76 case studies of the topic since It is impossible to determine whether a mole is cancerous based on its appearance alone. Many unusual or irregular-looking moles are not cancerous. Atypical moles have the potential to become cancerous. If members of your family have a lot of atypical moles, you may have familial atypical multiple mole melanoma FAMMM syndrome.
Your risk of melanoma is New moles may be benign or they may be cancerous. Genetic mutations are likely involved. A research study reported that genetic mutations of the BRAF gene were present in 78 percent of benign acquired moles. BRAF mutations are known to be involved in melanoma.
The interaction of ultraviolet light UV , both natural and artificial, with DNA is known to cause genetic damage that can lead to the development of melanoma and other skin cancers. The sun exposure can occur during childhood or young adulthood and only much later result in skin cancer. New moles are more likely to become cancerous.
A review of case studies found that When an old mole changes, or when a new mole appears in adulthood, you should see a doctor to check it out. Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, but new moles or spots may also be basal cell or squamous cell cancers. These usually appear in areas that are exposed to the sun, such as your face, head, and neck. Checking your skin regularly can help you spot mole changes. More than half of skin cancers occur on parts of your body that you can easily see.
The most common body sites for melanoma in women are the arms and legs. Non-Caucasians have a lower risk for melanoma in general. But the melanoma locations are different for people of color.
Typical sites for melanoma among non-Caucasians are:. Note that self-checks can often miss changes in moles, according to a study of people at high risk for melanoma. Moles that appear in adulthood should always be checked by a doctor.
0コメント