Melanoma Moles

Home > Treatment Articles > Mole Removal > Melanoma Moles

We all have moles and only a tiny fraction of these moles will be cancerous moles or develop into melanoma moles. However, we need to be aware of this slight possibility and we need to check our moles regularly for any changes since moles and melanoma can go hand in hand.

A malignant melanoma is a skin cancer that develops due to abnormal growth and the spread of melanocytes in the skin. Melanocytes are a type of skin cell responsible for producing brown pigment when exposed to the sun, giving us a sun tan. Groups of melanocytes often form colored lumps and these are moles. Of course ordinary moles are harmless. Very occasionally, the cells in the mole can become cancerous and we get cancerous moles that start to grow and spread. This cancer is called a malignant melanoma.

If melanoma moles are not treated early, some of the cancer cells can spread to other areas of the body and invade the liver, lungs, brain, abdomen or other parts of the body. This is a particularly dangerous cancer and tends to occur in men and women in the prime of their lives. It is estimated that 1 person in every 100 in the United States will develop melanoma during their lifetime.

While anyone can develop a malignant melanoma, some are more at risk than others. These higher risk factors include:

• Being a woman as twice as many women are likely to develop melanoma moles than men
• Having fair skin with lots of freckles
• Spending time sunbathing especially in the tropics
• Indoor workers with pale skin who get too much sun in sudden bursts during summer holidays or weekends
• A history of suffering severe sunburn in the past
• A heredity tendency where other family members have skin cancer.

To avoid a malignant melanoma, you should always treat the sun with respect. We all need Vitamin D and sunlight is the best source of this vitamin. However, we only need about 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight every day and the lighter our skin, the less we need because the Vitamin D is absorbed more quickly. Ironically, Vitamin D is an important anti cancer remedy but that sunlight should be before 11 am and after 3 pm when the sun is less strong. A sun tan should be built up gradually. It is very dangerous to arrive at a holiday resort, spend the whole day in the sun and end up looking like a boiled lobster. A pale skin with freckles is particularly at risk.

When examining your own skin, bear in mind the ABCDE of skin cancer and check the following:

• Asymmetry – normal moles are symmetrical while cancerous moles will not look the same on both sides.
• Border – cancerous moles could have blurry or jagged edges.
• Color – normal moles are only one color.
• Diameter – normal moles are smaller than a pencil eraser.
• Elevation – a cancerous mole could be raised above the surrounding skin and the surface could be uneven.

Our skin is unique because it is one of the few organs we can see so we are in a good position to examine our own skin on a regular basis. Keeping an eye on your skin, being aware of the link between moles and melanomas and particularly any changes to moles together with a sensible approach to sunlight will help to keep any melanomas at bay.