Can moles also turn into cancer? Young people with moles should be careful, as these 3 places are the most dangerous

"The mole on your palm, I always remember where it is." Does this line sound familiar to you? It's from Sandy Lam's "At Least I Have You".

When I heard this lyric when I was young, I thought it was extremely romantic. Now when I hear it, I just want to say: If you have a mole on your palm, remove this "dangerous element" quickly!!!

Recently, male singer Zhang Hengyuan, who participated in "The Voice of China 2" and won the runner-up, died of melanoma at the age of 36. He just got married in March last year and his child was not even one year old.

His mentor Wang Feng and netizens expressed regret and sorrow over his departure.

01

What is melanoma?

What exactly is melanoma? Which moles should we be wary of?

Melanoma, also known as malignant melanoma, is a type of malignant tumor that originates from melanocytes. It is common in the skin and is also seen in the mucous membranes, choroid and other parts of the eye.

The disease can occur at any age, but mainly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, with the peak age of onset being 60-70 years old.

It should be noted that melanoma is always malignant and there is no benign melanoma, so whether the word "malignant" is added to the name or not, the meaning is exactly the same.

Melanoma, although it does not contain the word "cancer" in its name, is a real malignant tumor. It is the most malignant type of skin tumor and is prone to distant metastasis.

But if it is diagnosed and treated early, it can be completely cured.

The cure rate of early-stage malignant melanoma can be as high as 95% to 100% after extended surgical resection.

Melanin is a protective mechanism for the human body, preventing ultraviolet rays from damaging skin cells.

Melanoma is often associated with a history of intermittent high-intensity sunlight exposure.

Melanoma has different types and incidence rates among different races and regions. The closer to the equator, the higher the altitude, and the whiter the skin, the higher the incidence rate.

For example, in white people, superficial disseminated malignant melanoma is the most common, followed by nodular melanoma and lentigo maligna. These skin cancers are all related to exposure to ultraviolet rays.

For Asians and yellow people, the most common type of melanoma is called acral lentiginous melanoma, which is most commonly found on the palms, soles and nails. Its clinical manifestations may be dark spots on the palms and soles, or vertical black lines on the nails. This type of malignant melanoma has little to do with exposure to ultraviolet rays.

In addition, there is another type of malignant melanoma, mucosal melanoma. Mucosal malignant melanoma can occur in the oral cavity, nasal cavity, vulva or vaginal wall. It is relatively difficult to detect and has the worst prognosis.

02

What causes melanoma?

The cause of melanoma is still unclear, but some common causes include:

1. Race and genetic factors;

2. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays is one of the causes of the disease that can be identified at present.

3. Viral infection may cause melanoma.

4. Chronic trauma and irritation.

5. Low immunity may also cause melanoma to a certain extent.

6. It is related to hormones in the body, especially the stimulation of estrogen has a certain correlation with the occurrence of melanoma.

03

How to distinguish between a mole and a melanoma?

Teach you the "ABCDE method" for self-checking, so you can easily identify it at home.

Asymmetry

Benign moles: often exist symmetrically.

Melanoma: A symmetrical mole becomes asymmetrical.

B (Border)

Benign mole: has neat edges.

Melanoma: The edges are jagged, like a coastline.

C (Color)

Benign mole: uniform color.

Melanoma: The color often varies from light to dark and may also appear in strange colors.

D（Diameter）

Benign mole: The diameter is usually less than 6mm.

Melanoma: Often larger than 6 mm in diameter.

Elevation/Evolving

Benign mole: relatively flat or remains unchanged for many years.

Melanoma: appears raised, or continues to change based on the four data items ABCD.

04

Moles are most dangerous in these 3 places

Melanoma can occur in many parts of the body, but these 3 parts require special attention and high vigilance!

palm

It is a high-incidence area for melanoma.

Sole

Existing moles are prone to canceration due to frequent friction.

Belt area

There is squeezing and friction where the belt is worn, which increases the risk of cancer.

Dr. Zhang Liang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Dermatology at Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, said in the popular science article "Prevention of Malignant Melanoma" on the Youlai Doctor platform:

1. For moles on friction sites, such as the palms and soles, it is usually recommended to remove them to prevent worsening.

2. For frictional areas such as belts and bra straps, prevention can be carried out according to the condition of skin lesions. If there is no major damage, observation can be the main approach to reduce friction.

If new nevus cells appear or nevus cells suddenly become larger, and symptoms such as ulcers, uneven color, and rough edges appear, you should go to the hospital in time to have a face-to-face consultation with a doctor to confirm whether preventive treatment is needed.

05

How to correctly prevent melanoma?

1

Self-examination

Start with self-examination of the skin, pay more attention to the moles and changes in moles on the body, especially self-examination of the skin for high-risk groups.

Take a photo of any moles, birthmarks or pigmentation spots on your body beforehand to keep a record so that you can compare them with any skin changes in the future.

Before the examination, you should also understand the location, appearance and feeling of your birthmarks, moles and spots.

If you find that the pigmentation spots are rapidly increasing in size, have uneven pigmentation, or have unclear boundaries within a short period of time, you should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.

2

Pay attention to sun protection

Ultraviolet rays are an important risk factor for skin cancer, and it is necessary to reduce the damage caused by ultraviolet rays to the skin.

(1) Avoid the sun or seek shade between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

(2) Use sunscreen, wear sun-protective clothing, hold a parasol, and wear sun-protective glasses to block long-wave ultraviolet rays.

(3) Tips for using sunscreen:

Use sunscreen with SPF30+.

Use products labeled "broad spectrum" sunscreen to protect against different wavelengths of UV rays.

Apply a generous amount of sunscreen, about 1 teaspoon, to your head and neck.

Reapply every 2 hours.

3

Don't pluck the hair on the mole

The hair follicles in the mole cells are larger, and repeated hair plucking will irritate benign moles and increase the risk of cancer.

4

Protect skin from damage

The risk of cancer increases when the skin is rubbed or traumatized. You need to wear soft clothing where there are moles and avoid frequent squeezing and rubbing of the area where the moles are.

In addition, you should not over-stimulate suspicious moles or pigmented spots on your body, as excessive stimulation may cause malignant transformation of melanocytes.

5

Do not remove moles multiple times

If laser is used multiple times and a mole in the same area is still not removed, then there is a risk of malignancy in that area and you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

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