Dear Doctor
Hi there, This is a picture of a mole on my back. I have several others much like it but much smaller. I have a few smaller in width but are longer. I am seeing a doctor but they can’t get to me until Monday so I wanted to know if you could put my mind at rest.
I have had this (same as many other moles) all of my life, they have naturaly gotten longer oer the space of the past 10 years.
The rest of them do not hurt but this one randomly hurts at times. I assumed this was because it’s on my back and I spend a lot of time without a shirt on. I occasionally have pain in the right side of my neck and left armpit if this is an relation?
If you would need anymore information just ask I would really appreciate some help Thank you
Dear Patient
The ABCDE signs used to differentiate melanomas from benign moles are:
A Asymmetrical shape which means that one half of the lesion does not match the other half
Your mole seems symmetrical
B Border which is irregular, blurred, notched or scalloped
Your mole has a regular border
C Color variation which means that the lesion has different shades of brown, black, red, pink and even blue
Your mole seems to be lighter at the top though this could be due to a reflection
D Diameter more than 6 mm or 1¼ inch
You can measure the size of your mole at home
E Evolving lesion which is changing in size, color or shape or becoming itchy, painful, scaly, crusting or ulcerating
Your mole is occasionally painful.
Since you have one of these signs, you need to visit your dermatologist so that they can remove it for examination under a microscope in the lab.
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