Posted in: Cancer by Dr. Tarang Krishna Posted Date: 09 Aug, 2015
Did you know that what we consider as harmless moles on our skin can give us dangerous melanoma skin cancer? Source of the moles in the body is the melanin-producing cells called melanocytes within the skin.
Though babies are not usually born with moles but they start to appear when they reach in their teenager and young adults phase. Also, most moles never cause any problem but a person who has irregular moles on his skin is likely to affect with melanoma. Researches have shown that lesser level of a protein called p15 may promote growth of moles into melanoma.
Some gene changes inside mole cells cause them to become melanoma cells. But reason for some moles becoming cancerous or atypical (dysplastic) moles increases your risk of developing cancer is still in dark
Ultraviolet (UV) rays are a major cause of melanomas. Ultraviolet rays inclines to harm the DNA present in the skin cells. Occasionally, this destruction upsets certain genes that control how skin cells produce and split. If these genes no longer work correctly, the damaged cells may form a cancer.
Check for these ABCDE symptoms which are important signs of moles that could be skin cancer. If a mole shows any of the signs listed below, consult your dermatologist as soon as possible.
- Asymmetry: Half of the mole on the skin does not match with the other half.
- Border: The border or edges of the mole are blurred or unusual.
- Color: The color of the mole is either different or it has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red.
- Diameter: It is larger than usual.
- Evolving: New mole looks different from the rest in terms of size, color and shape.
Along with the above mentioned ABCDE test, keep in mind to use a full length mirror to examine your entire body for the moles. Make sure you don’t forget the space between your fingers and toes. Secondly, keep track of all the moles on your body. If necessary, take a picture of them to track them more prudently.
Lastly, the chance of developing cancer because of a single mole is very low but if you have irregular or unusual moles on your body then don’t ignore them and get them checked to prevent any cause of cancer at the earliest.