Moles and melanoma what you need to know
Post date: September 14th, 2006Skin cancer is one of the most commonly occurring diseases in America, and few realize how to know when there is a problem with their skin that they need to address with a doctor. In this article, we’ll discuss the prevalence of moles when it comes to detecting melanoma.
To understand more about moles when it comes to melanoma, it helps to know exactly what a mole is. Moles are actually benign growths of melanocytes, which are ‘color’ cells that are present in the skin. Most moles occur within the first year of life, and the number of moles a person has often peaks when they are between 20 and 30. In youths who face increased amounts of sun exposure, more moles are known to be present. The more a child is sunburned, the greater occurrence of moles they tend to have. As a matter of fact, one of the best indicators of a persons chance for developing malignant melanoma is counting the number of moles present on their body. To get a basic idea of the number of moles on a person’s body, counting the number of moles on the arm is commonly used as an indicator. Moles may grow throughout a persons lifespan, usually before age twenty, and while important to note, the mere growth of a mole does not mean that a person will develop melanoma.
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. There are three; squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the only type of skin cancer that represents a threat to other parts of the body due to its capability of spreading outside of the area of the tumor. For that reason, malignant melanoma is the most likely type of skin cancer to result in death. When skin cancer is detected early, even melanoma diagnoses are often fully treatable. While moles do not need to be present for malignant melanoma to occur, it is important to keep a watchful eye on the moles on your body to ensure that cancer isn’t present.
When checking the moles of your body for the possibility of skin cancer, there are many factors to consider. First, you should note any asymmetry that occurs in your moles. If any of the following symptoms are noted with your moles, it’s important to talk to a doctor to ensure that any problems that show up can be taken care of before they grow to be a more serious issue. Moles tend to grow uniformly and evenly, and when one area of the mole begins to grow faster than the others, a problem may be present. It’s also important to note the appearance of the border of the mole; they should be uniform and defined. If the borders of one of your moles begins to become poorly defined, hazy, or abnormal, it’s important to get it checked out. If one of your moles begins to change in color, with red, gray, or white pigments present, you should consult your physician. Finally, if your mole grows in size to be bigger than one centimeter or starts a sudden growth spurt after age 20, you should speak to a doctor. It’s important to keep an eye on your own body; 50 percent of all skin cancer cases are found via a self examination.
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