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You should keep an eye on your moles and inform your doctor if they change in size, shape, color, texture, or thickness.
Moles, also called nevi, are a collection of regular melanocytes. Most moles are noncancerous (benign). However, some moles may undergo alterations in their shape, size, and texture due to changes in the DNA of cells. This leads to melanoma, a fast-growing, life-threatening skin cancer.
Although common moles are not malignant, those with more than 50 common moles are more likely to acquire melanoma.
The American Cancer Society reports that though melanoma accounts for one percent of all skin cancers, it causes most skin cancer deaths.
Patients in the United States with early-stage melanoma have a 99 percent five-year survival rate. If the illness progresses to the lymph nodes, the survival percentage is 68 percent, and it further reduces to 30 percent if it spreads to distant organs.
What is melanoma?
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. It begins in the pigment cells of the skin called melanocytes and spreads through the blood and lymphatic system to distant organs, such as the lungs, liver, and brain.
Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin to protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is emitted by sunlight. A mole is formed when these cells cluster together in the skin throughout childhood or adolescence. Melanoma develops when abnormal melanocytes proliferate (rapidly multiply and increase in number) uncontrollably. About 33 percent of all melanomas arise from preexisting moles, although they can appear anywhere on the skin.
Melanoma normally starts in the skin (cutaneous melanoma), but cancer can occur in the eye (ocular melanoma) or the moist tissue that lines specific regions of your body (mucosal melanoma). It can happen wherever melanocytes exist even if they are not exposed to sunlight. Primary melanoma is the location of a melanoma's formation.
How to distinguish a normal and cancerous mole
Normal moles
- Normal moles are symmetrical; if you draw a line across the center, the color, thickness, and form of both sides would match.
- The edges are clean and smooth.
- Usually, normal moles have a brown hue, which is continuous throughout.
- Moles are formed during childhood or adolescence and do not change their characteristics, such as size, shape, and color once completely formed.
- Moles are typically less than 6 mm in diameter.
- A bigger size mole may not necessarily cause melanoma, but it is necessary to pay attention to notice any possible changes.
- Moles are often flat you can run your finger over them and not notice them.
Cancerous moles (melanoma)
The American Cancer Society's ABCDE rule can be used to detect possible melanomas. ABCDE is an abbreviation for:
- Asymmetry: These moles are asymmetrical, the two sides of the mole do not match with shape, color, size, or thickness.
- Border: Melanoma borders are often irregular with scalloped or notched margins.
- Color: A cancerous mole is not uniform in color or contains shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red.
- Diameter: Melanoma spreads and tends to get bigger, having a diameter of more than 6 mm.
- Evolving: Melanomas may begin flat but rise as they expand. It is most certainly abnormal if you can feel it.
Other signs of melanoma include:
- Nonhealing sores
- Bleeding from border
- Formation of scales, oozing, or bleeding from the surface
- Itching
- Pain
- Inflammation and swelling around it
You should keep an eye on your moles and inform your doctor if they change in size, shape, color, texture, or thickness because this may suggest melanoma.
What are the treatment options for melanoma?
Melanoma may become fatal in less than six weeks if left untreated. It spreads to other regions of the body if not treated. Melanoma may develop on skin that has not been exposed to the sun regularly.
The basic treatment for melanoma is surgery, especially when detected in the early stages. However, your specific treatment will be determined by your circumstances. If melanoma is not detected until the advanced stage, treatment focuses on limiting the development of the disease and alleviating symptoms.
This generally includes drugs that target genetic abnormalities in the melanoma, such as BRAF inhibitors, or strengthen the body's immune responses to the tumor (immunotherapy).
Melanoma may reoccur if you have had it previously. The risk of recurrence increases if the cancer was more advanced or extensive.
If you are at high risk of recurrence, your doctor may recommend regular monitoring of your health. You will be briefed on how to evaluate your skin and lymph nodes for melanoma.
