A change in a mole on the body turned out to be cancer

It is not difficult to find that some small moles begin to appear on the body. Although they do not interfere with life, they do feel strange when they suddenly grow. Is it good or bad to have a mole on your body? Will there be any malignant changes?

Asymmetrical, light blue moles may become malignant, so it is best to intervene early.

If you look carefully, you can find that many people have several moles of various sizes and shapes on different parts of their bodies. Some fortune tellers often seriously associate moles with a person's good or bad luck, and subdivide them into "lucky mole", "unlucky mole", "peach blossom mole", "miserable mole", etc.

According to reports, in medicine, most pigmented nevi are the most common benign tumors of the skin. They are formed when melanocytes encounter obstacles during their migration from the neural crest to the epidermis, causing the melanocytes to aggregate locally.

Which moles have the potential to become malignant? Paying attention to the following characteristics in daily life can help to detect them early:

1. Asymmetry: Observing the shape of the mole, the local diameter appears to be particularly large and obviously asymmetrical.

2. Unclear boundaries: The boundaries of a mole are jagged or have other irregular changes, which may be infiltration and invasion of surrounding tissues.

3. Color change: The color of the mole becomes mottled or darker, especially showing a light blue color.

4. Large diameter: If the diameter of a mole is larger than the small eraser on the tip of a pencil (about 6mm), it should be taken seriously.

5. Elevation: Although the size of the mole has not changed, it has become significantly thicker.

6. Others: The surface of the mole is damaged, bleeding, swollen, painful or itchy.

If a mole on your body undergoes the above changes, you should be alert. In addition, pigmented moles on the palms, soles, waist, groin, shoulders and other parts of the body should also be observed more closely to prevent the possibility of malignant transformation because they are prone to friction. When dealing with suspicious small moles, it is best to find a professional doctor and have them examined through dermatoscope, skin biopsy, etc. Once there is a tendency for malignancy to become malignant, the doctor will evaluate the mole based on its depth, type, size, location, etc., and choose an appropriate method such as medication, laser or surgical removal to remove it.

According to pathological examination, pigmented nevi can be divided into the following three types: junctional nevus, mixed nevus and intradermal nevus.

1. Junctional nevus

It is generally flat or slightly higher than the skin surface, with a smooth surface and no hair. Its nevus cells and nevus cell nests are mainly located at the junction of the epidermis and dermis of the skin, hence the name. The nevus cells of junctional nevus have the characteristics of active proliferation and there is a possibility of malignant transformation.

2. Intradermal nevus

It is also flat or raised above the skin surface, with uniform color, and sometimes one or several hairs can be seen in the center. It is the most common type of pigmented nevus in adults. Intradermal nevus is relatively stable in nature and generally does not show malignant changes clinically.

3. Mixed mole

It has the characteristics of both junctional nevus and intradermal nevus. The center of most pigmented nevus is a raised patch on the skin surface, often with hair, surrounded by a smooth and diffusely pigmented halo. It may also become malignant.

For moles with extremely low possibility of malignant transformation, as long as they do not affect the appearance, you can observe them first, but if there is a high possibility of malignant transformation, it is best to intervene early.

Note: Do not scratch moles on your body

According to experts, the factors that affect the incidence of melanoma mainly include stimulation, friction of pigmented moles, exposure to the sun, and improper medical treatment. The vast majority of malignant melanomas occur due to repeated friction, scratching and damage to the mole, causing it to become malignant, transforming benign moles into malignant melanomas. In particular, many people do not pay enough attention to moles growing on the feet, palms, genitals and other parts that are prone to friction. Due to long-term compression, they will eventually undergo malignant transformation. People who are exposed to the sun for a long time should also pay attention.

In addition, some beauty-conscious ladies will choose to remove moles using methods such as laser, freezing, and chemical corrosion. These are very dangerous operations for real melanoma, as they can easily cause cancer due to incomplete removal and the remaining irritated melanocytes. If you need cosmetic treatment, you should go to a regular hospital for surgical removal.