Suspicious moles

Over the past decade with mounting evidence of skin cancer almost epidemic, the medical community and the public have responded by removing untold suspicious moles in an attempt to arrest the development of malignant melanoma. However, the increasing incidence and death from the disease continues, with more and more moles recommended for removal.

A few published facts in the peer-reviewed medical literature include the average dermatologist evaluation in successfully identifying moles that were converting to malignant melanoma has been 1 out of 18 cases. With dermoscopy (a tool to clinically improve detection) the successful identification of such moles was 1 out of 4.

The statistics become far worse for non-dermatologists. In other words, dermatologists are batting 0.050 in correctly identifying these moles clinically. Whole body examinations, by identifying mole patterns, reveal between 72-94% of moles depending on age to be consistent in a given individual and not indicative of cancer. Patients under 50 who’ve developed moles were diagnosed with less than 1% of their lesions as malignant melanoma where as patients older than 50 years of age had a 30% incidence of melanoma in new lesions.

This makes it difficult for the patient to decide what to do. Faced with a changing mole or lesion, first seek a dermatologist for evaluation since their understanding far exceeds other specialists. Find a dermatologist, with known expertise in melanoma. Full body exams are also necessary to evaluate changing. Try to obtain a second opinion before letting someone take a scalpel to your body because a “lesion” is suspicious.

It’s also worth remembering most “dysplastic nevi” will never become malignant. The art of evaluating the degree of dysplasia requires intelligence and experience.

The marriage of art and science in health care requires the good services of the physician as well patients taking

responsibility for their own welfare. For more information please call Doctor Ash Dutta at the Aesthetic Beauty Centre