Moles and Skin Cancer - How to Identify Cancerous Skin Moles in 4 Easy Steps
Moles made an appearance in the news recently. Hollywood celebrity Ewan McGregor, star of the blockbuster Star Wars episodes 1-3., underwent the removal of a cancerous mole. The blemish was below his right eye.
Cancerous moles are the result of heredity or the environment. They can be caused by excessive exposure to sunlight. It is advisable to wear sunscreen with SPF of 15 when the sunlight is strong to minimize the risk. Ewan McGregor recently spent several weeks traveling by bike from Scotland to South Africa, and said, "You have to be careful if you're pale-skinned and spend time in the sun". He added, "It was great fun having skin cancer, it was great. I really enjoyed it".
Detecting problematic moles is as easy as 'A-B-C-D':
Medical attention should also be sought if the mole is painful, itchy, bleeding, inflamed or crusty. Moles having three or more differing shades of brown or black are especially likely to be melanoma. Immediate action is required if there is an enlarged lymph gland near the mole.
If a cancerous mole appears, there is a 14 percent chance it will be on the head or neck of a female and 23 percent chance for men. The chance of the mole being on the trunk are 13 percent for females and 35 percent for males. The chance of it occurring on the arm is 17 percent for both genders. The chance of occurrence on the leg is 56 percent for females and 25 percent for males.
Moles are usually flat, so if a mole is raised or gets irritated, this is cause for concern. Irritation can ensue from friction against clothes or shaving.
While rare, melanoma can occur in the eye. If the growth is inside the eye, a person will see a black spot on the iris. If the growth is inside, the person may experience blurred vision. Diagnosis is most likely to take place during a routine eye examination.
New moles are unlikely to be a problem in people under 40. If your moles are growing hair or are becoming lighter, then there is no cause for worry. Moles appear during the first 20 years of a person's life, when they are tiny and brown, and grow larger until the age of 50 when they will fade or fall off. Pregnant women have a high tendency to develop moles.
A person should check their moles while bathing, including hidden areas like between the fingers and toes, the groin and the rear of the knee. If the location of moles is remembered, new moles can be identified.
Modern research has brought genuine progress to the treatment of skin cancer. People survive longer now and have better quality of life. Knowledge of moles and skin cancers is steadily increasing and new ways are constantly being found to prevent, detect and treat skin cancer.
Cancerous moles are the result of heredity or the environment. They can be caused by excessive exposure to sunlight. It is advisable to wear sunscreen with SPF of 15 when the sunlight is strong to minimize the risk. Ewan McGregor recently spent several weeks traveling by bike from Scotland to South Africa, and said, "You have to be careful if you're pale-skinned and spend time in the sun". He added, "It was great fun having skin cancer, it was great. I really enjoyed it".
Detecting problematic moles is as easy as 'A-B-C-D':
- A is "asymmetry", where the two halves of a mole have a different shape or color.
- B is "border", manifesting a problem when the edge of a mole goes from round to blurred or irregular.
- C is "color", when there are brown, black or even pink spots.
- D is "diameter", which is cause for concern if a mole is more than 6mm wide or if it becomes larger. Most moles stay the same size.
Medical attention should also be sought if the mole is painful, itchy, bleeding, inflamed or crusty. Moles having three or more differing shades of brown or black are especially likely to be melanoma. Immediate action is required if there is an enlarged lymph gland near the mole.
If a cancerous mole appears, there is a 14 percent chance it will be on the head or neck of a female and 23 percent chance for men. The chance of the mole being on the trunk are 13 percent for females and 35 percent for males. The chance of it occurring on the arm is 17 percent for both genders. The chance of occurrence on the leg is 56 percent for females and 25 percent for males.
Moles are usually flat, so if a mole is raised or gets irritated, this is cause for concern. Irritation can ensue from friction against clothes or shaving.
While rare, melanoma can occur in the eye. If the growth is inside the eye, a person will see a black spot on the iris. If the growth is inside, the person may experience blurred vision. Diagnosis is most likely to take place during a routine eye examination.
New moles are unlikely to be a problem in people under 40. If your moles are growing hair or are becoming lighter, then there is no cause for worry. Moles appear during the first 20 years of a person's life, when they are tiny and brown, and grow larger until the age of 50 when they will fade or fall off. Pregnant women have a high tendency to develop moles.
A person should check their moles while bathing, including hidden areas like between the fingers and toes, the groin and the rear of the knee. If the location of moles is remembered, new moles can be identified.
Modern research has brought genuine progress to the treatment of skin cancer. People survive longer now and have better quality of life. Knowledge of moles and skin cancers is steadily increasing and new ways are constantly being found to prevent, detect and treat skin cancer.
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