5 signs from moles that need to think immediately about cancer

According to statistics from the Central Dermatology Hospital, each year this hospital treats more than 300 cases of skin cancer and the number of patients increases by 10-15% each year.

However, very few people pay attention to this disease. When they see strange spots on their skin, patients often mistake them for normal moles or birthmarks, so they do not go to the doctor early, leading to many serious complications.

A typical case is the case of two male patients in Hanoi who discovered an unusual black spot on their face for several years but did not seek treatment because they thought it was a mole. When they went to the hospital for cosmetic laser treatment, the doctor discovered that the skin cancer had progressed to a late stage and required chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Dr. Hoang Thi Phuong Lan, Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery at a hospital in Hanoi, said that cancer from moles is very dangerous, develops quickly, is often malignant, metastasizes quickly, and causes secondary cancer in the liver, bones, lungs, brain, lymphatic system, etc.

Cancer from moles often starts from small, non-itchy, painless tumors, so people rarely pay attention to them. However, in reality, during the development process, this type of tumor can cause inflammation, ulcers, necrosis, and destruction of local tissue. In severe cases, this tumor can "eat" away fingers, toes, mouth, eyes, nose... depending on the location of the tumor.

However, if the patient is detected early and treated promptly when the mole becomes malignant, the cure rate is quite high.

According to Dr. Lan, to identify cancerous moles, people can easily check with the naked eye through 5 signs:

-Symmetry:Benign moles usually have two symmetrical halves. If a mole or freckle has an unusual asymmetrical shape, it should be checked by drawing an imaginary line down the length of the mole and comparing the other half to see if it is similar. If it is not symmetrical, it is likely cancerous.

-Border:If the outer border of the mole is blurred, the border between the skin and the mole is not clear, and it looks different from other moles, it can also be a warning sign of cancer. Malignant tumor lesions are often the cause of blurred borders of strange moles on the skin.

-Color:A mole that is not the same color as the other moles on the skin, regardless of the color such as brown, black, dark blue, white or red is suspicious.

Normal moles will have a certain color, similar and uniform on the skin, but if there are many moles on the skin with different colors, different shapes, some dark, some light, then the risk of cancer is very high.

-Diameter:One suspicious point when observing strange spots on the skin is that their diameter is much larger than normal moles. Moles are usually only 0.6cm or less.

-Convexity:If a mole is clearly visible on the skin, it is necessary to check it. Because malignant tumors often grow rapidly in size or magnitude. A mole that keeps growing, changes color, causes itching, discomfort or bleeding is really an alarming sign.

Therefore, doctors recommend that when you see a lump or mole-like growth on your skin or unusual skin-colored patches that show signs of spreading and developing over time, and feel hard or painful, you should think about cancer and get checked as soon as possible.