How to distinguish between moles and melanoma

Everyone has moles of varying sizes, and some of them may be related to cancer and evolve into highly malignant melanoma. Because the two are difficult to identify, even doctors are prone to misdiagnosis and mistreatment. To prevent melanoma, you also need to pay attention to information about the malignant transformation of moles, such as enlarged lymph nodes in the mole area, faintly visible blue-black; increased size of the mole, darker or lighter pigmentation; the mole radially expanding to the surrounding area, etc., to take preventive measures in advance to avoid the occurrence of melanoma.

Difference 1: Asymmetry. The two halves of an ordinary mole are symmetrical, while the two halves of a malignant melanoma are asymmetrical.

Difference 2: Edges. The edges of ordinary moles are smooth and clearly demarcated from the surrounding skin, while the edges of malignant melanomas are irregular and jagged. In addition, the surface is rough with scaly or flaky desquamation, sometimes with exudate or bleeding, and the lesions are higher than the skin.

Difference 3: Color. Ordinary moles are usually brown, brown or black, while malignant melanomas are brown or tan with pink, white or blue-black. Among them, blue is the most ominous, while white indicates that the tumor has spontaneous degeneration. Nodular malignant melanomas are always blue-black or gray.

Difference 4: Diameter. The diameter of an ordinary mole is generally less than 5 mm, while the diameter of a malignant melanoma is greater than 5 mm.

In addition, special attention should be paid to moles that itch or feel painful when pressed. If such moles continue to develop, they are very likely to develop into ulcerative lesions, and the stinging or burning pain will become more obvious. Nodules or regional lymphadenopathy will also appear around them, indicating that the disease has progressed to the late stage. It is worth mentioning that it is very difficult to distinguish between moles with poor structure and early malignant melanoma by naked eye observation alone. Suspected lesions should be biopsied in time to obtain a pathological diagnosis.