Changing mole

A mole (naevus) is a common, usually harmless cluster of pigment cells in the skin, and most people have many that stay stable throughout life. What matters is change: a mole that is growing, changing shape or colour, developing an irregular or uneven border, itching, bleeding or crusting, or a new pigmented spot in adulthood that stands out from your others. These changes can be an early sign of melanoma, a form of skin cancer arising from pigment cells — and the reassuring flip side is that melanoma found early, while still thin and confined to the surface, is very often cured by simple removal. A helpful way to remember the warning features is the ABCDE guide: Asymmetry (one half unlike the other), Border irregularity, Colour variation within the mole, Diameter (larger, though small melanomas occur), and Evolving (any change over time — the single most important feature). The 'ugly duckling' idea is also useful: a mole that simply looks different from all your others deserves a look. Most changing or unusual-looking moles turn out to be benign, but because catching melanoma early makes such a difference, a mole that is changing, looks unusual, or is new and different is always worth having examined. A skin specialist assesses it by eye and with a dermatoscope, and removes it for a definitive answer if there is any doubt.

• A normal benign mole — most moles, stable and harmless.
• A changing benign mole — moles can slowly change with age, sun and hormones (e.g. pregnancy); still worth checking if it stands out.
• Seborrhoeic keratosis and other benign spots — common harmless skin growths that can mimic a mole.
• Atypical (dysplastic) naevus — an unusual-looking but benign mole; a marker of needing skin surveillance.
• Melanoma — a less common but important cause; the reason a changing or unusual mole should be checked.
• Other skin cancers — basal and squamous cell skin cancers can also present as a changing skin lesion.

A changing or unusual mole is assessed by looking, not by a blood test — a skin specialist examines it by eye and with a dermatoscope, and if there is any concern the mole is removed and examined under the microscope, which is the definitive test. There is no blood test that screens for or diagnoses melanoma from a mole. Blood markers such as LDH have a role only in monitoring an already-diagnosed advanced melanoma, not in evaluating a skin spot. Mediora.AI can hold such marker results in context for someone under specialist monitoring, but a changing mole needs a skin examination — the assessment is a visual and, if needed, a biopsy one.