How to Tell if Mole is Cancerous?

asked 2 years ago by -seanmac202 in Hartlepool, 40 a owton manor lane
Latest answer by Peter A. Aldea, MD
Question viewed 2,023 times
Tags: male, cancer, moles, skin

I was noticing a little brown mole on my skin, and I stupidly thought it was something else so I picked it off. It went really red and it has swollen up with a red outline. Now, the mole is dark brown and I'm not sure whether or not it is just a scab. It does not itch or anything; it just stings a bit when I touch it. How would I know if it is cancerous or not?

4 answers to How to Tell if Mole is Cancerous?

How to Tell if Mole is Cancerous?

It would be a wonderful thing if we could know who are enemies are but just looking at them. Unfortunately, all the "bad" guys do not wear black hats, wear black sunglasses or stroke a white Persian cat while laughing demonically. To recognize many skin moles based on their appearance requires years of medical training and seeing thousands of moles. But even then, surgeons may underestimate a and mistake a mole thinking it is benign when in fact it could be a cancer. The... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

If you pick at a mole, can it turn into cancer?

See below for my live interview on MSNBC recently about how to tell if a mole is bad. The trouble with evaluating a recently picked or traumatized mole, is it really can look bad while healing, and then turn out fine, so don't panic. Allow a mole to heal if you know you have picked at it, and THEN evaluate it. If it doesn't heal normally, or looks different after healing than it did before, go to a dermatologist for a biopsy removal of it, so it can be sent in to have the tissue... more

Jessica J. Krant, MD, MPH
Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon

How to tell if mole picked at is cancerous

You can't tell on your own if a mole is cancerous. Refer to the answer above from Dr. Seify on the ABCD's of melanoma. If the mole is new, it could be problematic. The appearance of the mole BEFORE your attempt to pick it off is the key. In any event, you may have caused an infection so your best option is to visit with a dermatologist. Everyone should get annual skin cancer checks so perhaps this is your first reason to get that started. Mole removal is accomplished in a variety of ways.... more

Nissan Pilest, MD
Irvine Dermatologic Surgeon

The ABCD system to detect melanoma

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... more

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question

Get Free Email Updates

How to Tell if Mole is Cancerous?