How to Tell if Mole is Cancerous?

Mole removal begins with a comprehensive examination and consultation to determine the likelihood of a mole being worrisome. Excisional and incisional biopsies are reserved for suspicious moles. But it’s good news that most moles are not problematic and are only cosmetic, thus leading to the option of scarless or non-surgical mole removal with lasers and RF and plasma. Our office specializes in non-surgical mole removal.

Best,
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian
Realself 100 Surgeon

I would encourage you to allow the lesion to heal and then carefully have it evaluated.  When evaluating a mole/lesion for skin cancer we refer to the ABCD's of melanoma.  The only way to know if a lesion cancerous or not is to get a biopsy.

The famous ABCD system for melanoma detection was first proposed in 1985 and since that date, it helped in early detection of mailgnant transformation in pigmented lesions:A: Asymmetry of the lesion.B: Border varigation and uneveness.C: Color--darker colors, especially when a recent change occured, is considered as one of the most important signs.D: Diameter--Increase in size is also very important.In general, patients with large number of pigmented lesions are usually followed by their dermatologist and even photos will be taken for documentation. In case of doubt a quick biopsy is the safest thing to do.Hope that helps.