Mild to Moderate Atypical Mole Removal. I Am Scared I Will Develop Melanoma?

Nevi (moles) do not go from being normal to being cancer.  Typically they will go through stages of change called dysplasia.  A normal mole can change into a mildly dysplastic mole and then may progress.  If it does, it will go on to being moderately dysplastic and proceed to severely dysplastic.  Just because a mole has made one or two changes does not mean that it will keep going to a more severe stage.  The problem is that we can not predict with certainty which one will stay at a given stage and which one will continue to get more dysplastic.  It is for this reason that when we see a dysplastic mole, we elect to remove all of the cells by excising it.  It is a relatively simple and painless procedure.  Severely dysplastic nevi can go on to become melanoma, so it is important to get this mole removed and then have yearly full body skin evaluation with a board-certified dermatologist.  Use SPF 30 and be sun smart and get your yearly check-up and you should be fine.

 

This is quite common and the time frame that you mentioned is okay to wait. Just make sure to have the surgeon to take significant margins. I would say 3mm would be good. If it were a melanoma I would consider larger margins with pathological guidance in the operating room or a MOHs type of approach.

Mild to moderate atypical moles are quite common so you do not need to panic.  The rest of the mole should be removed, but it is not urgent and there is no problem waiting a month.  You should monitor your skin for any changes in your moles, have regular skin examinations with your dermatologist and use sun protection.