Moles

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* You have a mole that changes in size, shape or color.

* You have a mole that burns, bleeds, itches or stings.

* You develop a new mole that grows rapidly.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

Moles can be as perplexing as ice hockey, cribbage, Star Trek conventions, politics and most television shows.

"Nobody has really figured out why people have moles. They make no sense and don't appear to serve any purpose," says Kevin Welch, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson.

In most cases, moles are like harmless hitchhikers, taking a free ride on your back, arms, legs or face. They can last 10 to 40 years, then fade away.

Only about 1 in 100 people are born with moles. Usually, they develop at the age of five or six, says Marc Bauder, M.D., a family practice physician in Sun City West, Arizona.

"The average person is not born with moles nor does a person who lives an average lifetime die with moles," Dr. Welch says. "They tend to come and go as you age, so by the time you're 70 or 80, you have very few of them."

But while doctors know little about the origin of moles, they do know that any dramatic change in a mole could be a warning sign of skin cancer—both the malignant (melanoma) and benign (basal cell carcinoma) varieties. They also know that prolonged sun exposure increases the chances that a mole will become cancerous.

"Your risk of skin cancer isn't really determined by how many or how large your moles are," Dr. Bauder says. "It has more to do with your cumulative sun exposure during your lifetime. Excessive sunlight can either produce a new skin cancer out of existing normal-looking cells or cause a mole to go bad and turn into a cancer."

Symptom Relief

There really isn't any way you can prevent getting a mole," Dr. Bauder says. "But if you notice any change in a mole, see your doctor as soon as possible."

Early detection of skin cancer is vital, particularly if it is melanoma. "Of all skin conditions, melanoma is the leading cause of death. So it's very important to be diagnosed early, while the melanoma can be cured," says Martin A. Weinstock, M.D., Ph.D., chief of dermatology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

Here's what you need to know about moles.

Take a hard look. Each month, do a head-to-toe examination of your skin. Look for any changes in size, color, shape or appearance of any mole, Dr. Bauder says. Use a hand mirror to check areas that are hard to see, like the back of the legs. If you're unsure how to do a self-exam, ask your doctor to show you.

Let your doctor do it, too. Your doctor should inspect your skin at least once a year, says Robert J. Friedman, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. If you have a family history of skin cancer (melanoma) and you have many moles, have your skin checked twice a year.

It pays to be suspicious. A change in a mole doesn't automatically mean skin cancer. Often, it is just a result of some minor bump or bruise. Still, it would be wise to get any suspicious-looking mole checked out. Most likely, your doctor will simply shave off the mole and send it to a lab for a biopsy. Even if it is cancerous, removal of the mole may be the only treatment you'll need.

Create a barrier. Wearing a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 will protect your skin—and your moles—from most of the sun's harmful rays, Dr. Welch says. If you have lots of moles on your legs, using sunscreen may be especially important. In a study of 341 nurses, researchers found that people with 12 or more moles on their lower legs had 4.2 times greater risk of developing melanoma than those who had no moles on their legs.

See also Birthmark Changes