A well-known singer died of illness. What is the culprit, "melanoma"?

Audit expert: Zhang Yuhong

Chief Physician of Dermatology Department, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University

On June 13, Zhang Hengyuan, the runner-up of the second season of The Voice of China, died of melanoma at the age of 37. While people lamented his untimely death, "melanoma" once again entered the public's field of vision.

I believe many of you have noticed that we all have moles on our bodies. Different people have moles in different places, and the number and size of moles are also different.

Some people don’t like moles, especially those on their faces, because they affect their appearance, so they would choose to remove them. However, some people think that moles should not be moved at will, and irritating them at will can easily turn them into cancer! Is this true?

Today, I will give you a detailed introduction to the things about moles~

Mole Image source | Wikipedia

1

What exactly is a mole?

The moles we often talk about generally refer to pigmented nevus (Nevus pigmentosus), also known as nevus cell nevus and melanocytic nevus. It is a tumor-like structure formed by the abnormal aggregation and proliferation of melanocytes on the skin surface.

Depending on the different proliferation patterns of melanocytes, nevi can be divided into three types: junctional nevi, intradermal nevi and compound nevi .

Source: China Medical University First Hospital

Junctional nevus is the most common pigmented nevus. The color ranges from light brown to dark brown. The distribution position is flush with the skin, and some may have slight protrusions . Intradermal nevus is a nevus that grows within the dermis of the skin. It is generally flesh-colored or skin-colored, and has obvious protrusions . Compound nevus is between the first two types of nevus in terms of protrusion. The color is generally darker, brown or black , and some compound nevus may grow hair.

Moles can be congenital (commonly known as birthmarks) or acquired. The growth of moles varies from person to person. Currently, there is no clear research conclusion on the causes of moles. Generally speaking, moles do not cause much danger except for affecting the appearance. Unless they become cancerous and form melanoma, extra attention should be paid.

Melanoma image source | Baidu Encyclopedia

2

How dangerous is melanoma?

Melanoma, the name alone does not sound scary, but in fact, it is a real malignant tumor and a very common skin cancer.

Melanoma is caused by gene mutations in melanocytes in pigmented moles. Currently, the cause of melanocyte cancer is not fully understood, but it is generally believed that it may be related to genetic inheritance, external stimulation, ultraviolet radiation, etc.

Melanoma can occur in multiple tissues such as skin, mucous membranes, and pia mater. Its common symptoms are abnormal moles and lumps on the skin surface that bleed when touched.

Melanoma image source | Youlai Doctor

If melanoma can be detected in its early stages, it can be cured after complete surgical removal. However, the scary thing is that melanoma is highly metastatic and deteriorates very quickly. It is often discovered in the late stages and is basically incurable . The only way is to prolong the patient's life as much as possible through medical means.

Melanoma is so terrible, is there any way to prevent it? If you want to prevent melanoma, the key is to "pay attention at all times, detect it early, and treat it early."

3

How to tell if a mole is getting worse?

The deterioration of moles is not without trace. First of all, we need to pay attention to the distribution area of ​​moles. Moles on the human body are widely distributed, so moles in some areas have a higher risk of turning into melanoma.

Studies have shown that the extremities of the human body, that is, the palms, soles, nails, belt area and other areas that are easily rubbed, are subject to long-term external stimulation and are most likely to become malignant. Therefore, these areas are what we need to pay special attention to.

Secondly, we must learn to judge whether a mole has a tendency to become cancerous. At present, the international community mainly uses the "ABCDE" five rules to judge the potential cancerous tendency of a mole:

Image source: Good Doctor Online

A stands for Asymmetry, which means observing the symmetry of the mole. Benign moles are generally symmetrical in shape, but if the mole is asymmetrical, you should be careful.

B stands for Border irregularity, which means observing the edges of the mole. The edges of benign moles are neat and clear, while the edges of malignant moles are generally fuzzy and irregular.

C stands for Color variegation, which means observing the color of the mole. Benign moles have uniform color distribution, while malignant moles have uneven color distribution and are mixed with other colors.

D stands for Diameter>6mm, which means to observe whether the diameter of the mole exceeds 6mm. If the longest diameter of a mole exceeds 6mm, you should pay more attention.

E stands for Evolution, which means observing the dynamic changes of moles. If a mole shows obvious changes in size, shape, or color in a short period of time, or if the skin becomes ulcerated or itchy, it may be at risk of becoming cancerous.
In general, if 1-2 of the above five characteristics appear, it is recommended to go to the hospital for examination to determine whether it is benign or malignant so that appropriate treatment can be given in a timely manner.

Currently, there are many methods in hospitals to detect whether pigmented moles are benign, such as dermoscopy, pathological biopsy, blood tests, imaging examinations, etc.; if a mole is found to have a risk of cancer or has already become cancerous, it can be surgically removed under the guidance of a doctor, or treated with drugs and laser therapy.

Back to the question at the beginning, some people are worried that mole removal will cause it to become cancerous. Is this true?

If the mole is benign, then it will not turn into cancer no matter how you remove it; but if the mole has turned into a malignant tumor, removing the mole may not completely remove it, but it may accelerate the metastasis of cancer cells . Therefore, you can remove the mole, but you must go to a regular hospital for it, and before removing the mole, you need to be tested under the guidance of a doctor to determine whether it is a benign mole.

Generally speaking, moles happen to everyone, and there is no effective way to avoid them. For everyone, moles can become cancerous. Therefore, in daily life, we should do regular skin self-examinations and understand the growth and changes of moles to effectively prevent the occurrence of melanoma.