Are Moles Cancerous?

Moles are melanocytes that accumulate in one part of the skin that then forms pigmented lesions. A trend for melanocytes would be to spread around the skin and sometimes, accumulate in a colored mass within a single space. Moles form in any age, anywhere in the body which varies in size and color. There are moles that disappear within certain periods of time and some stay for lifetime. Other moles can result to malignancy that is known as melanoma, a kind of skin cancer.

There are two kinds of moles that may appear on your skin – atypical nevi and halo nevus.

Atypical Nevi These are the kinds of moles that are larger and have an indistinct and irregular edge that appears to be cancerous but is not the case for most of the time atypical nevi are benign. If in doubt, you can consult your skin doctor and find out if the mole that has grown is cancerous or not because according to researches, there is a higher tendency that people having atypical nevi may lead to malignant melanoma. Moles that are diagnosed having the higher possibility of becoming malignant are immediately removed by doctors.

Halo Nevus As the name implies, halo nevus is characterized by a mole having a halo around it. Oftentimes these mole types have a white ring around the area which gives them the halo look. In general, teenagers and children are prone of having these moles. In time, these moles disappear. If there are any signs of mole changes specifically in size and color, one must see the doctor immediately and let it be diagnosed.

Mole formation It can either be because of melanocytes accumulation or congenital. Moles form at any age type usually during childhood. Mole formation happens within the junction of the dermis and epidermis but is most often formed within the dermis. The appearance will depend on the area where it is formed. Some may be raised and others are flat. Colors vary from dark blue to light brown, still, depending on how deep the mole is formed within the skin level and the concentration or density of the pigmentation causing it.

Exposure to sunlight can increase its formation. Pills can also contribute to the formation. Both pills and exposure can set mole darkening. When one ages, the mole tend disappears and others lighten in color. Other develops growth of hair on the surface which can be very unsightly and the person can result to removal.

Be aware of changes Over the years, moles tend to stay permanently the same when it comes to size, shape and color although others disappear and some grow even more. For moles that indicate any kind of change is a sign that the person is a candidate for having malignant melanoma which is cancerous. In order to prevent this kind of phenomenon from happening, you have to observe for any changes or better, inspect every mole present on your body. Note any kind of change and if there are, inform your physician immediately and have it checked in order to further diagnose the condition.

Early detection of mole malignancy can lead to a higher probability of recovering from the disease. There are sufficient topics on how to examine one from having malignancy or normalcy. If the condition is diagnosed in a later stage, then malignancy and spread of the disease is inevitable.