Mind Your Mole

Moles are round or oval pigmented protruding birthmarks on the skin which usually appear in early childhood. A typical adult has about 15 to 50 moles on the body.

Normally, these don't cause any trouble and are best left alone. But moles that become large, change color and shape, and bleed may indicate cancer and should be removed. A short visit to a dermatologist will confirm this.

“Most moles are harmless, but in rare cases, moles may become cancerous. Monitoring moles and other pigmented patches is an important step in detecting skin cancer, especially malignant melanoma. Not all melanomas develop from pre-existing moles, but many begin in or near a mole or other dark spot on the skin,” said the Mayo Clinic.

"Any mole or other discrete growth, especially one that has changed color, size or appearance, must be shown to your dermatologist right away. It may be a malignant melanoma, a killing cancer which can be cured if removed early enough. Any growth that has persisted for more than a couple of weeks, no matter what it looks like, should be checked out," added Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital -Cornell Medical Center in “Symptoms.”

Moles that are located in inconvenient spots where they are scratched, bumped or constantly irritated should likewise be removed for they can become cancerous later.

"Moles on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, or the genitalia are more apt to turn into malignant melanoma than are moles elsewhere. In addition, if you have a mole in a location that it likely to be repeatedly irritated, such as where a brassiere strap rubs, or where it might be nicked in shaving, it is wise to have it removed. You can have this done in a doctor’s office or in an out-patient clinic in the hospital. Usually it will be examined under a microscope just to make sure it is not cancerous,” added Marion Morra, assistant director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Yale university School of Medicine in New Heaven, Connecticut, and Eve Potts in “Choices: Realistic Alternatives in Cancer Treatment.”

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