Moles Melanoma
Moles, Malignant Melanoma?
I have a mole on my temple and it is on a raised area, it has always been like this but it really worries me, if i was to go to the doctors what would they do?
this is likely the symptoms
A new or changing mole or blemish is the most common warning sign for melanoma. Variation in color and/or an increase in diameter, height, or asymmetry of borders of a pigmented lesion are noted by more than 80% of patients with melanoma at the time of diagnosis. Symptoms such as bleeding, itching, ulceration, and pain in a pigmented lesion are less common but warrant an evaluation. Again, because the majority of cutaneous melanoma arises de novo (ie, not in association with a precursor nevus), the wholesale removal of melanocytic nevi is not warranted for melanoma prevention. However, individuals with numerous moles (common or dysplastic) or a family history of melanoma should be educated regarding the importance of skin self-examination for early detection of skin cancer.
Information regarding the changes noted in the ABCDE criteria listed below is relevant to the patient’s history. Physician and patient education regarding the warning signs of early melanoma (particularly the superficial spreading subtype) has been achieved successfully through the use of the ABCDE criteria for a changing mole,11, 12 which are as follows:
Asymmetry: Half the lesion does not match the other half.
Border irregularity: The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.
Color variegation: Pigmentation is not uniform and may display shades of tan, brown, or black; white, reddish, or blue discoloration is of particular concern.
Diameter: A diameter greater than 6 mm is characteristic, although some melanomas may have smaller diameters; any growth in a nevus warrants an evaluation.
Evolving: Changes in the lesion over time are characteristic; this factor is critical for nodular or amelanotic (nonpigmented) melanoma, which may not exhibit the classic criteria above.
The ABCDEs have the greatest diagnostic accuracy when used in combination. Lesions exhibiting these features should be considered potential melanoma, although severely atypical nevi may be difficult to distinguish clinically. More recent use of the “ugly duckling” warning sign, wherein skin examination is focused on recognition of a pigmented or clinically amelanotic lesion that simply looks different from the rest, may assist with detection of lesions that lack the classic ABCDE criteria (eg, nodular, amelanotic, or desmoplastic melanomas).13, 14
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Consultant Pathology: Tumorigenic Melanocytic Proliferations $112.00 Series Description: The Consultant Pathology series, edited by David E. Elder is designed to disseminate the knowledge of expert surgical pathology consultants in the analysis and diagnosis of difficult cases to the full community of pathology practitioners. The volumes are based on actual consultations and presented in a format that illustrates the expert s process of evaluating the case, includi… |
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What You Really Need to Know about Moles and Melanoma (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book) $9.49 Throughout the world, the incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate. This dramatic rise is largely due to more frequent and prolonged exposure to intense sun, the result of major changes in clothing styles, recreation, and lifestyle (including widespread access to midwinter resort vacations). Significantly, recent scientific studies have shown an increased number of moles … |
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