How to Know if Your Mole Has Turned Cancerous

A cancerous mole also called Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. It is the sixth commonest cancer in the USA and the most common fatal malignancy among young adults. Understanding of the risk factors associated with melanoma is vital.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Awareness
• Knowledge
• Observation

1. Caucasians are at highest risk, followed by Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians/Pacific islanders and African Americans.
2. Sun and UV radiation is a major risk factor for melanoma. Tanning beds (sun bed or sun lamp exposure) significantly increased risk of skin melanoma.
3. Diets rich in vitamin D and carotene and low in alcohol may be associated with a reduced risk for melanoma.
4. A personal history of melanoma is associated with a higher risk of developing a second melanoma.
5. 10 percent of melanoma are familial.
6. The A, B, C, D, Es of melanoma recognition are valuable for patient education and for all clinicians. Any of the following changes in your mole, whether new or pre-existing, should alert you to seek professional advice:
   
   Asymmetry
   Border irregularities
   Color variegation (ie, different colors within the same region)
   Diameter greater than 6 mm
   Enlargement or evolution of color change, shape, or symptoms
7. A seven point checklist designed in England is sensitive for the early detection of melanoma. It includes three major features and four minor features. Any one of the individual points mentioned below in your mole, whether new or pre-existing, should alert you to seek professional advice:
   
   Major features
   
   Change in size
   Change in color
   Change in shape
   
   Minor features:
   
   Inflammation
   Bleeding or crusting
   Sensory change
   Lesion diameter greater than 6 mm