3 Signs of Melanoma You Must Not Miss
01/07/2020
Dr D'Souza and his team will be personally addressing frequently asked questions and other issues in this section. Our aim is to provide expert, medically-based advice that you will find valuable, interesting and reliable. This month we address a vital topic – "3 Signs of Melanoma You Must Not Miss."
While this article covers some of the signs of skin cancer, if you are concerned about a mole or you are overdue for your skin check, you can call our team on (08) 9301 1825 or Book Your Skin Check Online.
Key Takeaway Points:
Melanoma is one of the most aggressive cancers known, affecting all age groups including the young.
Australia has one of the highest rates of Melanoma in the world, and numbers are still rising.
There are 3 simple rules that do NOT require medical training or equipment that you can use to detect a melanoma on your body.
These include the "Changing Mole", the "Ugly Duckling" and the "New Arrival".
Even experienced Skin Doctors find these 3 simple rules vital in every skin check they do.
3 Signs Of Melanoma You Must Not Miss
Skin cancer doctors use a number of sophisticated diagnostic techniques and equipment including mole scanning and clinical diagnostic algorithms to determine the cancerous potential in a mole.
But what if you have a concern about a mole during this Pandemic period? If you have not been able to get to your skin clinic recently (or are overdue a check) you may be at risk.
Here are three very simple tests you can perform at home to assist you in assessing a problem mole. This helps you know if you need an urgent clinic appointment.
1. Firstly, Has The Mole Changed?
The hallmark of any skin cancer is that it is evolving. In other words, it is getting either bigger, darker or more raised.
A 2017 study in the American Academy of Dermatology reviewed 38 previous melanoma studies and concluded: "The results indicate that patients who monitor their existing moles for suspicious changes could detect melanoma in its early stages, when it's most treatable."
So keep a close eye on your moles and get your partner to check your back.
If a mole is changing, make an urgent appointment for it to be assessed. It may prove to be a false alarm, but it is still worth checking.
Remember, of all the signs of Melanoma, this is the information that every skin doctor uses in every skin check they do. Many consider this information to be as important as all the expensive specialised equipment at their disposal.
Beware - some moles change "internally". The melanoma change occurs within their boundaries whilst the external shape and size remains constant. Hence simply looking at the size or edges of the mole for change may not be sufficient – the dark spot occurring in the middle of the mole may be a melanoma.
If in doubt, make an appointment to get these moles checked.
2. Secondly, is it an "Ugly Duckling"?
Ugly Duckling is a term skin cancer doctors use to describe a mole that looks significantly different to the others around it on your body.
This may not necessarily be a mole that is bigger and darker than its surrounding moles – it may in fact be paler or multi-coloured when all your "normal" moles are dark. It is just "different" to its neighbouring moles:
Such a mole is significantly more likely to be cancerous. Unless you are sure it is longstanding and not changing, it is probably best to get it assessed medically.
The best form of medical check is a full skin check. At this point, the doctor can check the mole with non-invasive mole scanning techniques to see if it is simply an odd-looking mole or if in fact it is a deadly melanoma.
If necessary, an urgent biopsy can be done on the Ugly Duckling mole. More commonly, a sequence of mole scanner photographs taken at intervals can prove the mole is not changing and that it is safe to leave alone.
3. Thirdly, The "New Arrival"
Has a mole just appeared? Always be suspicious of the mole or lesion that has just appeared. This is especially the case if you are over 50.
An Australian research study based at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne showed that one in three of new moles in older Australian's turned out to be deadly melanomas. This is seven times more likely than the risk of a new mole in younger patients.
However melanoma can occur at any age – so a "New Arrival" is always a cause for concern. This applies even if the mole is not especially large, dark or raised or different looking.
Finally, "Trust your Gut".
Do you have a gut feeling that something isn’t right about a mole? Even though this does not sound terribly scientific, it is surprising how often a patients' "gut feeling" is proven correct.
Experienced doctors will often ask their patients if there is any mole they are not happy about, even if there is no history of new arrival or change and it is not an ugly duckling. We know the value of the patients own gut instinct, and what an important diagnostic clue this can be.
Of course, the above checklist is not comprehensive and is certainly not a substitute for your full annual Skin Check. It does, however, give you a reasonable indication of when to make an urgent appointment. Remember, early diagnosis saves lives.
Here at The Skin & Mole Clinic, we will always see you promptly if you have an urgent concern. If ANY of the signs above apply to you please make an urgent appointment for a mole check.
Resumption of Normal Medical Services and our Safe Clinic Zone Policy
Over the past two months many preventative medical screening services have been suspended or reduced in Western Australia. These include mammograms, colonoscopies and of course Skin Cancer screening services. As a result, there are medical concerns about early diagnosis having been delayed and cancers being potentially missed.
As social distancing is now been relaxed in Western Australia, we have resumed our full services. These include Full Skin Checks, Mole Scanning/Imaging and of course essential skin cancer surgery (which was never ceased at the clinic).
We have also responded to the COVID-19 emergency by establishing and maintaining a "Safe Clinic Zone".
This includes multiple layers of measures to protect our patients. We are also constantly reviewing and updating these policies.
