|
|
|
Moles and Melanoma
February 19, 2008 |
You don’t have to be fair skinned to be at risk for Melanoma. Mandy Lawrence
learned that after watching a close family member develop the disease. She says,
“I thought I was at very low risk, but my grandmother had darker skin and hair
and she developed melanoma that eventually spread into her lymph nodes.” Dr.
Michael Kim is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. He says plastic surgeons often
deal with skin cancer and its aftermath. “A lot of people are in denial and they
see something and they leave it alone for a couple of years and before you know
it they come in and it’s already spread.” Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin
cancer but you may be your own best weapon in detecting and treating the disease
early. Physicians say to watch out for change in the moles on your skin. “Any
dark, purplish, irregular, increasing in size moles, the larger they are the
more likely they’re melanoma, the more you have the more likely you have
melanoma,” says Dr. Kim. Mandy took a lesson from her grandmother and made sure
to see a dermatologist regularly. “I had a mole on my back that had been there
for as long as I could remember. So my dermatologist removed it, which wasn’t
very painful and within minutes it was gone and I got my biopsy results back a
few days later and they were negative. I was so relieved to know that everything
is okay. “When it comes to melanoma it’s always better to be cautious and talk
with your physician about your concern before it’s too late. Dr. Kim says,
“There are a lot of people walking around with atypical moles and once removed
you don’t have to worry about them anymore and there’s no risk for melanoma once
you get them out. If there’s any question see your dermatologist for family
physician to take a peak, it’s very simple to do a biopsy.” Melanoma can be
related to things like family history, skin tone, immune system function and sun
exposure. |
|
|
|
