Pay attention to your moles! The rapid increase in skin cancers in recent years is very remarkable. Since the onset of skin cancers usually originates from moles that are ignored, I wanted to make reminders about moles. Moles can be seen anywhere on the body. In medical language, they are known as melanocytic nevus and they develop as a result of the proliferation of pigment cells called melanocytes (cells that give the skin its color). They can be smooth or fluffy. Their colors can vary from pink to black.
They generally cause aesthetic defects, but they can also cause physical discomfort in the joint area and areas prone to trauma. Especially dark-colored ones can become cancerous when exposed to the harmful rays of the sun for many years. A definitive diagnosis is made by taking a biopsy of large, suspicious moles at the time of examination.
Moles may be present at birth, but they usually develop in childhood. Moles darken after sun exposure and during pregnancy. They lose their color in adulthood and may disappear completely in old age.
Types of moles: Congenital Pigmented Nevus: A mole that is present at birth is called a congenital pigmented nevus. These moles are seen in 1% of babies. Their sizes can range from a few millimeters to enough to cover very large areas of the body. Especially very large ones have the possibility of turning into a skin cancer called melanoma.
Halo Nevus: Some moles are covered with a white ring. This type of moles are seen during childhood and adolescence. They do not cause any harm and over time the mole and white circle in the middle will disappear. Sometimes discoloration can also be seen in skin cancer called melanoma. If in doubt, a biopsy may be necessary.
Freckles: They are small, light brown, flat skin spots and are usually seen in people with fair skin. Generally, in the summer months when there is a lot of sun exposure, their colors darken and multiply. Unusual moles: These moles appear to be normal. They have irregular edges, are large in size, and are similar to skin cancer, often called melanoma. They can be removed surgically, although this is not necessary due to their alarming appearance. People with unusual moles are especially likely to have moles in their families. If they have skin cancer called anoma, they are at risk of developing melanoma.
Situations in which moles need to be treated:
* If there is a possibility of cancer: If the structure of a mole is irregular, spreads to the environment and changes its color, treatment It should be removed.
* If a mole is in a place where clothes, comb or razor can damage it, it should be removed.
* It can also be treated for cosmetic reasons, depending on the person's wishes.
Treatment methods
Shaving biopsy: A raised mole can be easily treated with this method. It should be at the upper level of the skin. If its base reaches the lower layers of the dermis, this procedure cannot be performed. After the skin is numbed with local anesthesia, it is removed with a surgical blade or cautery. The wound heals leaving a solid white spot. Recently, we only perform this procedure with laser.
Surgical removal of the mole: This method is used if there is a suspicion of deep mole or skin cancer, which we call Melanoma. It is a procedure that takes 10 to 25 minutes with local anesthesia, depending on its size. The mole on the skin is removed in its full thickness. The removed mole is sent for pathological examination. You can check your moles too: It is recommended that every individual examine their own moles monthly. Mole asymmetry, border irregularity, discoloration (mole containing more than one color), significant growth, inflammatory reaction or bleeding may indicate skin cancer. However, if a different-looking, fast-growing, pigmented lesion is detected, a specialist doctor should be consulted immediately.
People with a high risk of developing skin cancer should be more careful:
- Fair-skinned, fair-skinned People with colored eyes, red-blonde hair or a skin type that can easily develop sunburn,
- People who have been exposed to intense sunlight for a long time or intermittently,
- People with a family history of malignant melanoma skin cancer. People,
- People with abnormal (atypical) looking (dysplastic) nevus.
- People with many congenital moles.
In the last 15 years, the risk of malignant melanoma has increased approximately 2-fold and, in parallel, new diagnostic methods have been developed. dermatoscope i is skin surface microscopy; It is used in the diagnosis of moles and other pigmented lesions. In this method, the oiled skin surface is examined with a dermatoscope, which provides light magnification. Until a few years ago, mole tracking was achieved by taking photos of dermatoscopic images. Then, digital dermatoscopy was developed by adding computer technology to this method.
What are the advantages of digital dermatoscopy? With this method, a map of the moles on the body is created and their pinpoint locations are determined. Dermatoscopic images are then taken and recorded for each mole. This provides a chance to compare with the image that will be obtained at the next check. The digital dermatoscope also creates an index that shows the risk of malignant melanoma by mathematically calculating the suspicious changes observed in the mole. This index is helpful in diagnosis and treatment planning.
Is removing moles harmful? "Moles cannot be touched, they are harmful." In my 23 years of medical history, this is the most frequently and incorrect sentence I hear from my patients. This false myth has cost the lives of who knows how many people. If moles are monitored and suspicious ones are removed in time and sent for analysis, the possibility of developing a skin tumor is eliminated. During the removal of moles, we do not leave any cells in the body that would later cause a reaction in that area.
A malignant mole is dangerous not when it is removed, but when it is not removed. Trust your doctor in such matters, do not take what those around you say too seriously.
Protection: We recommend that people with moles, especially in areas exposed to the sun, regularly use sunscreen with a protection factor of 15-30. Examining and grading moles with a dermatoscope at six-month and one-year check-ups is very useful.
I wish you days full of beauty, where your moles do not cause you any problems...
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