Moles growing in these parts of the body may not hurt or itch, but they are very likely to become cancerous!

Moles are really very common. You can find a few moles on the face, hands, legs, chest, back...almost everyone has them.

As for moles, especially the older generation, they all believe that they are closely related to fortune. For example:

A mole on the palm indicates that one will hold great power and have a prosperous career;

A mole on the sole of the foot indicates help from noble people and prosperity of wealth;

…

Here, I can say responsibly that moles are just a very common benign skin tumor on the human body. Not only will they not bring you good luck, they may also cause you to lose money.

Because some moles may turn into malignant melanoma (malignant tumor), which not only costs money but may also be fatal.

One episode of the life documentary program "Life Fate" truly recorded such a story:

Yang Xun, 32 years old, has two lovely babies, a husband who loves her, and a happy family.

However, all the good things were shattered by the mole on her body. She was unfortunately diagnosed with melanoma, the king of cancers, which has an incidence rate of only one in 100,000. The doctor diagnosed that she had less than 3 months to live.

Although she tried her best to fight cancer and wanted to spend more time with her children, she still passed away with regret six months after the diagnosis.

In the movie If You Are the One 2, Li Xiangshan, played by Sun Honglei, chose to commit suicide by jumping into the sea because a mole on the back of his foot became cancerous and he could not bear the physical pain.

Melanoma is a highly malignant tumor. Although the incidence of malignant melanoma in my country is lower than that of other tumors, its overall five-year postoperative survival rate is also relatively low, at only 65%.

In fact, for early-stage melanoma, surgical treatment can greatly reduce the probability of metastasis, and the 5-year survival rate can reach more than 90%. If it develops to the late stage, the prognosis is very poor, less than 10%.

However, due to its extremely hidden nature and the fact that it does not cause obvious physical discomfort, many patients discover the disease in the late stages.

But why do moles that are usually painless and itchy become cancerous? Are there any signs of cancer?

First, let's understand how moles come about:

There is a kind of melanocyte in our skin, which not only gives the skin color, but also acts as a "light filter" for the skin, absorbing ultraviolet rays in the sun and thus protecting other skin cells.

When the number of local melanocytes increases and "groups together", it will form the pigmented nevus we usually see. The color of the nevus will also appear in different colors such as brown, brown, blue-black, etc. due to different pigment content. Most of these nevi are benign.

The mechanism of cancer occurrence has not yet been fully understood. In addition to genetic factors, the most common one is external stimulation, such as trauma caused by ultraviolet radiation, friction, picking, mole removal, cutting, etc.

Under the combined effect of multiple factors, melanocytes that should have fallen off and died grow uncontrollably, proliferate excessively, become cancerous, and can easily metastasize to the lymph nodes, internal organs, bones, brain and other parts.

After understanding the high-risk factors of melanoma, we should pay special attention to the "high-risk moles" in these areas:

👉Parts frequently exposed to the sun: Moles on the head and neck may become cancerous because they are easily exposed to ultraviolet rays.

👉 Areas prone to friction: Moles on the palms, soles, under the nails, nasopharynx, near the anus, and where you wear a bra or belt have a higher chance of becoming cancerous.

At present, more than 60% of malignant melanoma patients in my country develop melanoma on the palms and toes, soles or under the nails, and most patients are already in the middle or late stages when they are discovered. Therefore, if you find a mole on your hand or sole, you should be alert to the possibility of cancer.

👉 Parts that can be scratched or easily injured: For example, moles growing in special parts such as the nasal cavity and oral mucosa can become cancerous due to adverse stimulation such as scratching at will.

Moles in the above-mentioned areas are more dangerous, but their cancerous changes may be hidden and difficult to detect. So how to detect their early lesions? You can observe from the following aspects:

👉Shape: Ordinary moles are symmetrical on both sides, while malignant melanomas are often irregular in shape and asymmetrical on both sides.

👉Edge: The edges of ordinary moles are smooth and clearly demarcated from the surrounding skin, while those of malignant melanomas are often jagged and serrated.

👉Color: Common moles are mostly black, brown, or tan, while malignant melanomas are often mixed with a variety of colors, or the color may suddenly deepen within a few months, or turn black, blue, or begin to fade.

👉Diameter: Ordinary moles do not change throughout the year and are generally smaller than 5mm, while melanomas will rapidly increase in size in a short period of time and may exceed 6mm in diameter (pigmented moles with a diameter greater than 1cm are best removed).

👉Surface protrusion: Some early melanomas will have a slight protrusion throughout the tumor (higher than the skin surface), and will cause itching or pain, and will easily rupture and bleed.

👉 Periphery: Many new small moles or black spots appear within 2 cm around the mole, which are professionally called "satellite lesions", which means that cancer cells are dividing and spreading, and may be accompanied by regional lymph node enlargement.

👉 Discomfort: Ordinary moles will not cause discomfort, but malignant melanoma often causes bleeding, ulcers, itching, difficulty in healing, and pain in the surrounding skin.

If you find that a mole on your body has the above suspicious symptoms, it is recommended that you go to a regular hospital for examination as soon as possible. You may need to remove the mole and send it for pathological examination for further diagnosis.

In short, don’t ignore moles because they are common. Otherwise, once they “go crazy”, they can be very dangerous!!

References:

1. People's Daily Health: Be careful! Picking at these moles can easily turn into cancer! 5 most important cancer prevention tips to strongly resist cancer! 2019.12.12