Asymmetrical mole. Cancerous moles: description, symptoms and features of removal

Moles represent a feature human body, in the form of pigmented neoplasms. They arise as a result of skin pigmentation by natural origin.

As a rule, moles are benign in nature, but after a certain period of time, under certain risk factors, they can degenerate into malignant tumors called melanomas.

On the body of any person there are moles, in medical parlance - nevi. The majority of moles appear at a young age, before twenty-five years of age. But it happens that they arise later, under the influence of various various factors, for example, during pregnancy, or when moving to a country with a different climate.

Nevi may be different shapes, size and color are natural physiological process. But there are some points that should alert you: a sharp increase in the mole, a change in its color or contour, as well as the appearance of bleeding. The listed factors must be treated with caution, because such changes may indicate the occurrence of mole cancer - melanoma.

Causes of mole cancer formation

A cancerous mole or melanoma can form from melanocytes - these are cells with a special pigment. The real reasons rebirth healthy cell to malignancy remain unknown to date. But there are a number of factors that have a share of influence on the malignant process:

Ultraviolet radiation. At risk are people who abuse solariums and sunbathing. People with fair skin, which is easily susceptible to sunburn and redness, should be especially careful. And also for people with blond or red hair, with many freckles or birthmarks.
Injury to the nevus. Injury to a mole is a significant danger. For example, after attempting to remove a mole on your own and accidentally tearing it, cancer of the mole may occur.
Mole burn. This factor, received chemicals or heat exposure can also cause the formation of melanoma.
Genetic predisposition.

How to recognize a malignant mole?

Any mole is considered potentially dangerous, and any change in it should be examined by specialists. The greatest danger is a mole measuring over six millimeters, with convex and uneven edges.

The first signs of a change in a mole that can develop into melanoma:

asymmetry;
increase in size;
compaction formation;
contour change;
the appearance of bleeding cracks;
color change;
pain in the area of formation.

Signs of melanoma and its differences from benign formations:

The growth of a mole in one direction, the appearance of asymmetry. Define similar symptom You can use a ruler, applying it to the center of the mole, the edges should be symmetrical, if not, then there is a risk of malignancy.
Fuzzy edges of a mole, torn or as if cut up, are the main sign of mole cancer.
Heterogeneity or color change. If inclusions of black, blue or red color are found against the general background of the mole, darkening or lightening, then this may also be an alarming signal.
The size of the mole exceeds two centimeters. Such neoplasms should be periodically checked by a dermatologist, especially if growth dynamics are noticed.

Any mole in in good condition remains unchanged throughout life; if the slightest changes are detected, this is a reason to consult a specialist.

Classification of melanomas

Melanomas can be classified according to their visual appearance: depth, thickness, shape and structure. The following types of melanomas are distinguished:

Superficial melanoma is the most common type, occurring in 65% of malignant moles. Visually characterized skin formations in the form of a black spot or brown. Localization location – top layer epidermis, poses a particular danger when it grows into the lower layers of the dermis.
Nodular melanoma is a bump-shaped, convex lump, black or dark brown, having a glossy structure. In some cases, it may acquire a red or pink color. Occurs in 15% of cases.
Acral lentiginous melanoma. It affects the soles of the feet, the palms of the hands, and the skin under the nails; it occurs very rarely.
Lentigo. This melanoma affects exposed areas of the skin: face, neck, ears. Diagnosed in 10% of cases, mainly in older people.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis ⏤ an important component in treatment; predicting survival directly depends on the stage at which melanoma is detected.

A doctor who deals with diagnostics ⏤ dermato-oncologist. If such a narrowly focused specialist does not find, but for initial examination you need to contact a dermatologist, oncologist or surgeon. Experienced doctors will be able to visually determine the nature of the nevus. Visual inspection is carried out using a dermatoscope, a device that in its functionality resembles a magnifying glass. Thanks to it, you can see the structure of the mole, invisible to the naked eye.

After a visual examination, if the specialist suspects the malignancy of the neoplasm, a biopsy is performed (tissue collection for histological examination). Based on the results of the biopsy, the type and nature of the malignant process is determined. Afterwards, the doctor prescribes the necessary additional tests:

X-ray chest. It is performed to exclude the presence of metastasis in the lungs, because respiratory tract represent the main place for localization of secondary formations.
Blood test. Thanks to this analysis the functional performance of the liver, kidneys and other organs is determined. The analysis does not make a diagnosis, but provides grounds for further research.
Ultrasound abdominal cavity. It is performed to exclude secondary neoplasms in the peritoneum.

Treatment of cancerous moles

Treatment for mole cancer is quite specific, main method- This is the removal of a tumor. In addition to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy can be used. But these methods, unlike removal, are ineffective for melanoma. Relatively new and effective techniques used in early stage diseases are cryodestruction and coagulation.

As for the main type of treatment - surgery, the amount of tissue excision depends on the stage of the cancer. If melanoma is at the first stage of development, then the mole is removed, capturing half a centimeter of healthy tissue.

If the operation is performed at the second stage of the disease, the volume of excised healthy tissue is one centimeter. In the event that the thickness of the recess malignant formation more than two millimeters into the inner layers of the dermis, then, regardless of the stage, at least two centimeters must be excised healthy skin.

Increasing the recommended limits for removing healthy skin is impractical, because the peculiarity of skin cancer is metastases, and not local recurrence. The exception is the desmoplastic variant of melanoma, which is characterized by the development of local relapses, therefore, during removal, at least three centimeters of healthy epidermis are captured.

After removal of melanoma, there is a possibility of relapse, and more often metastasis. Therefore, the entire body is subject to examination in order to identify micrometastases and secondary neoplasms in distant organs.

Regional lymph nodes are the first to succumb to metastases, therefore, in most cases, lymphadenectomy is used.

Surgery can be used for individual metastases in the following cases:

in the presence of resectable individual metastasis, the removal of which improves the prognosis;
for resectable metastases, without removal, that threaten the patient’s life;
during resection to reduce the malignant mass for the most best result subsequent chemotherapy treatment.

What is radiation for oncology?

Irradiation is a method of exposing the area of the tumor or the entire body to radioactive rays, depending on the location of the tumor.

Active radio rays lead to the death of malignant cells, which helps stop their division and reduce the tumor itself. But in the case of a cancerous mole, the options for radiation are limited.

The technique is used for palliative purposes in late stages diseases. And in case of damage by metastasis to bones or other anatomical structures, they will be used to reduce pain and improving the quality of life of a cancer patient. Radiation is also advisable for metastases to brain structures; for this localization of secondary tumors, radiation therapy is a priority method in the treatment of melanomas.

Cancerous moles are generally not sensitive to chemotherapy. Therefore, the feasibility of using cytostatic agents occurs only in metastatic melanomas. In such cases, the following drugs are effective:

dacarbazine;
temozolamide;
fotemustine.

The most acceptable treatment for skin lesions is considered to be a single regimen of chemotherapy. Due to the increased toxicity of the polyregime, use is indicated only if the formation is resistant to monochemotherapy.

Methods such as cryotherapy and laser destruction are advisable only in the first stages oncological process when the neoplasm has no large sizes and did not grow into the inner layers of the dermis. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the technique will be zero.

Forecast

Despite the fact that melanoma is an aggressive formation with characteristic rapid metastases, the advantage is its external location, which makes it possible to detect the disease in the early stages.

By paying special attention to your body and when contacting specialists after detecting the first changes in the growth pattern and visualization of the nevus, it is possible to identify skin cancer in the first stages. With timely surgical treatment or using methods such as cryotherapy and laser destruction of the mole, the five-year survival prognosis exceeds 90%.

On late stages melanoma has a poor prognosis, survival rate does not exceed 20%.

It is important for everyone to know that if the shape, structure, size or color of a mole has changed, then this is a reason for examination. With early diagnosis and timely excision of a malignant neoplasm, there is a high chance of complete cure.

Pigmented and pigmented formations occur in 90% of the population. Under their “mask,” especially under the appearance of a mole (nevus), melanoma occurs, which is a form of cancer. Know the risk factors that contribute to melanoma and how to identify it malignant mole, greatly facilitate its early diagnosis and increase the survival rate as a result of timely treatment.

Melanoma and the importance of its early diagnosis

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that develops from pigment cells that produce melanin. It is characterized by rapid growth, frequent recurrence, rapid metastasis to almost all organs, and high mortality. Melanoma accounts for about 1-2% of all cancer diseases and 10% of all types skin cancer. Mortality from it (14%) exceeds that from breast cancer and thyroid glands, and of all deaths Melanoma accounts for 80% of tumors.

The reason for the high mortality rate is not only fast growth and metastasis of a malignant mole, but also late diagnosis pathological formation (at stages III and IV - 30%), when there are already metastases to other organs. This is due to the fact that often the removal of a malignant mole is carried out independently using folk remedies or in beauty salons whose workers have no experience in differential diagnosis benign nevus with melanoma, as well as lack of awareness even among many medical workers about risk factors and clinical manifestations of the tumor.

In addition, late referral to an oncologist or at least a dermatologist is also explained by the lack of information among the population about the primary malignant “mole”, the possibility of degeneration of a benign birthmark in melanoma and its first symptoms.

Melanocytes synthesize the pigment melanin, which is often brown or black in color, less often yellow, and moves through their processes into tissues and hair, giving them a certain color. Pigment cells are located in the iris of the eyes, the substance of the brain, in the intestinal mucosa, etc.

However, their main quantity is located in the skin epidermis, along which they move, forming random clusters of oval or round shape(nevi). The pigmented formation on the skin with which a child is born is called a birthmark, but this term is used in everyday life to define all moles.

Melanoma develops from melanocytes and melanoblasts as a result of damage to their DNA and mutation under the influence of various external or internal factors risk. Its cutaneous forms account for 90-92%, eye-shaped(vascular and conjunctival) - 7%.

Previously, it was believed that malignant nevus develops only from birthmarks. This is explained by their external similarity and the similarity of the structure from which they arise. However, in recent years The development of melanoma from birthmarks has been established in approximately only 26-30%, in other cases it is formed primarily.

Clinical signs

No other malignant neoplasm can compare with melanoma in the diversity of its course, clinical manifestations, histological structure. It can develop primarily on unchanged skin or against the background of limited Dubreuil premelanosis, from congenital or acquired birthmarks. In all cases, the source of this tumor is melanocytes.

The clinical signs of a malignant mole are very diverse. This is manifested in size, shape, outline, surface character, consistency, color, and dynamics of change. Common to all forms is a set of characteristics, which is expressed by the initial letters by the abbreviation “AKORD”, developed by dermatologists and cosmetologists:

Asymmetry (A) - lack of symmetry in the shape and contours of a spot, with the exception of birthmarks present on the child’s body at birth.
Edges (K) are most often uneven and unclear (blurry).
Coloring (O) - uneven; The presence of dots and stripes of various tones of dark brown and black is noted.
Size (P) - in diameter from 7 mm or more.
Dynamics (D) of development - an increase in the previous birthmark or a rapid increase in the size of a new pigmented formation.

Signs 1, 2, 3, 5 are the main ones. Minor clinical symptoms- in paragraph 4, and also:

surface moisture, bleeding, ulceration, crusts; these phenomena can appear independently or in result of lung contact with clothing;
softening of the tumor;
presence of nodules;
the presence of pink or pigmented dots or formations around the birthmark (satellites);
redness and soreness of the surrounding skin surface as a result of the inflammatory reaction;
signs of vertical growth.

In this regard, there are various classifications melanomas, in which discrepancies are often noted. Currently, the most common clinical and morphological classification, according to which the following main types of malignant moles are distinguished: , or melanoma:

Superficially spreading, which accounts for 60-75%. It occurs predominantly in young and middle age (30-50 years), with equal frequency both against the background of healthy, unchanged skin and from birthmarks on closed and open areas of the skin. Most frequent localization for men it is upper sections the back and shoulder girdle, in women, who are affected somewhat more often - the lower extremities. This type of melanoma is a flat plaque up to 0.6 mm in diameter with unclear and irregular scalloped contours, alternating dark and discolored patches in the form of a mosaic, and areas of reverse development.
Approximately 2-4 years after the tumor grows flat on the surface, a nodule forms on it, indicating a transition to vertical growth, after which the tumor grows much faster: after a few weeks even with minor damage clothing causes bleeding, and subsequently constant ulceration with bloody discharge. The mortality rate for this type is about 30%.
According to the type of lentigo maligna- more often affects older people (after 55 years), who are difficult to tan or who are long time under solar irradiation. Among all melanomas, it averages 13%. This type of malignant mole usually occurs on the face and exposed areas of the neck and looks like flat spot significant sizes (from 2.5 to 5 cm) of heterogeneous dark brown color interspersed with black.
Acral lentiginous(7-8%) usually develops in old age, in men - 2 times more often than in women, and exists for a long time in the form of a spot. There are two forms in it - subungual and palmoplantar. A subungual tumor is a dark brown or black spot that gradually grows along the nail bed and then extends beyond it to the ridges. During the period of vertical growth, deformation and destruction of the nail plate occurs as a result of the appearance of nodes, papules and ulcerations on the tumor.
Nodal(10-25%), the most aggressive melanoma, which, in contrast to superficial spreading, initially develops not in a planar, but in a vertical, invasive direction. It is a node or polypoid formation of a very dark or black color, sometimes light in color, with a clear, even border against the background of unchanged skin. The main localization areas are the head, neck, back and limbs. Half of the cases are men and women (with equal frequency) over the age of 50 years.

The growth of the first three types of melanomas occurs in two phases - in the horizontal (planar) direction along the skin surface (during dermatoscopy it is defined as the radial growth phase), and only through certain time invasive nodes appear (vertical growth phase).

1. According to the type of lentigo maligna
2. Superficial spreading skin melanoma in the vertical growth phase

It is very important to notice the appearance of a primary malignant neoplasm, especially in men on the back, in women - on lower limbs, or determine the moment of rebirth of an existing one. Basic early symptoms degeneration of a mole into malignant melanoma as their value or increase is:

Disappearance or change in skin pattern on the surface of the birthmark.
Glossy (shiny) surface character.
The beginning of a change in the shape of the outline is the appearance of irregularity or scalloping of the boundaries.
Horizontal increase in size.
Changes in subjective sensations in the area of the nevus - the appearance of itching, a slight burning sensation.
The appearance of slight fine peeling followed by the formation of crusts.
Absence of hair in the area of the birthmark or loss of existing hair.
A complete or partial change in color, both in the direction of strengthening and in the direction of lightening, including its unevenness.

In prognostic terms, dermoscopic and histological diagnosis of the level of tumor invasion, that is, the depth of its vertical spread, is important. In this regard, it is customary to distinguish 5 levels of distribution of cells of a malignant mole:

I - only in the epidermal layer;
II - in the dermal papillary layer, without filling it completely and without deforming it with its volume;
III - tumor cells form a solid mass, which increases the volume of the papillary layer, filling it completely up to the border with the reticular layer;
IV - cancer cells penetrate the reticular dermal layer;
V- malignant tumor spreads further into the subcutaneous fat layer.

Moles on the human body are a natural phenomenon.

You should not be afraid of their appearance, but you need to constantly and closely monitor the development of nevi.

This requirement is due to the fact that there are good and bad moles that can cause negative consequences.
All information on the site is for informational purposes only and is NOT a guide to action!

Can give you an ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS only DOCTOR!

We kindly ask you NOT to self-medicate, but make an appointment with a specialist!

Health to you and your loved ones!

To distinguish nevi that can harm your health, you need to know everything about the types of neoplasms and the signs of their degeneration.

This is especially true for those who have a lot of them.

Species

Moles are classified according to many distinctive features.

The most general distinction is the division of nevi into congenital and acquired.

More detailed classification- by size:

small, no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter, there can be many of them on the body, face, limbs;
medium - from 1.5 to 10 centimeters;
large - more than 10 centimeters;
gigantic - extensive in area.

Based on their location, nevi are classified into the following types:

epidermal, that is, arising in the surface layer of the skin - the epidermis;
intradermal - formed in the dermis itself, in the depths skin;
border - between the epidermis and dermis.

Each of these moles is a cluster of melanocytes, that is, pigment-containing cells.

They may not pose a danger, but may have signs and prerequisites for degeneration.

By internal structure nevi can be vascular or non-vascular.

Vascular ones are usually single and have a red, brown, bluish-brown color.
There are several non-vascular moles at once.

When many nevi are concentrated in one place, a person begins to show anxiety. He is interested in the question: is it good or bad if there are many moles? Doctors have only one answer to this: the main thing is that they are safe.

Based on their form, neoplasms are divided into several subgroups:

flat surface;
lentigo;
convex;
blue;
pigmented giant;
dysplastic.

Causes of rebirth

In order for good moles to be reborn, negative factors affecting them must be activated.

Provocation dangerous development nevi are exposed to ultraviolet rays.
If there are a lot of moles, this is bad, because there are additional risk get cancer. Usually, more than fifty nevi are considered dangerous; they can be on the face and other parts of the body. IN total number moles turn on age spots and even freckles.
Swimming in the sea in the heat also causes the degeneration of nevi. In this case, the impact increases solar radiation through refraction in salt crystals.
Constant injury to the nevus leads to its inflammation and then to oncology.
The influence of an unhealthy environmental background can also intensify the change in the mole. Doctors say it provokes education cancer cells.
Childhood and pregnancy are periods of active growth of moles due to a hormonal surge in the body. Women often think , If nevi appear, is it good or bad for the unborn baby? Safe nevi do not affect the health of the mother and fetus, and bad moles can harm the woman’s health, which can also affect the embryo.
The presence of nevi in traumatic places is very common reason the beginning of the degeneration of the neoplasm. First of all, identify for yourself these areas in children; you will find photos of such areas on the Internet.

What is the difference between bad moles and good ones?

No one knows in advance what a mole that appears on the body will bring, whether its formation will have a good or bad effect on health.

How to distinguish nice mole and not panic?

There is advice from experts on this matter, which says:

a good mole is not large;
it has clear outlines;
its fabric is uniform;
the color scheme can vary from light to dark and even black shades, the main thing is that the color should not change.

The combination of these principles is concentrated in the ABCDE rule (asymmetry + boundaries + color + diameter + transformation dynamics).

But only a doctor can make a conclusion about the benignity and malignancy of a mole.

Therefore, if a mole is black, it is not necessarily dangerous; black nevi are also good.

Using the ABCDE formula, dangerous moles are also determined, additional signs malignant moles are:

mature age of appearance;
changes in color, size and shape;
compactions, ulcers, peeling, bleeding on the body of the mole;
disappearance of the contours of the dermal pattern on the mole;
the appearance of shine (gloss) or roughness on the surface of the nevus;
weeping of the surface or a halo of hyperemia around the mole or nodules on it.

What do dangerous people look like?

Based on the listed signs of the difference between good and dangerous moles, we can conclude that appearance the latter.

They have changed color, shape and surface structure. A malignant mole has broken symmetry, one part is larger than the other.
A dangerous nevus does not have a clear outline; the boundaries may blur.
The color palette of a dangerous mole can be very diverse, absolutely multi-colored, which is not typical for a benign nevus.
A large mole is also not a good sign.
If the nevus smells bad and looks suspicious, then you should immediately show it to a doctor.
If the hair growing in the nevus falls out, whether this is good or bad should not be a question. This signal indicates that the mole is becoming dangerous.

When asked what to do when a mole smells, the doctor will answer that you should not self-medicate and eliminate the smell with fragrances, perfumes, and so on.

It is necessary to immediately examine the nevus and determine the cause of the problem.

If moles in older people look bad, then the risk of melanoma - a malignant nevus - increases severalfold.

This is facilitated by insufficient body resistance and sagging skin.

Knowing what signs dangerous moles have, you can timely determine the onset of their malignant degeneration and cure melanoma at an early stage.

If there are a lot of moles on the body, this is unlikely to end well.

Despite the assertion of fortune tellers that the meaning of moles on a woman’s body often determines her good fortune, you need to monitor them and, if necessary, remove them.

Photo

Diagnostics

The main system for diagnosing moles is the result of an examination with digital equipment.

The procedure is called epiluminescence videodermatoscopy. The device enlarges the nevus up to two hundred times its size, which allows you to take a detailed photo of the mole tissue. Based on this examination, the condition of the nevus during the subsequent examination is compared with the result of the previous one. This allows you to monitor the dynamics of its changes.
The determination using the ABCDE formula complements and clarifies the examination.
In addition, a histological examination of dangerous moles is carried out. If a mole has been removed, histology of the material is done in mandatory. Next, doctors determine the course of treatment for the patient and decide what to do if the histology is positive. As a rule, they are appointed additional examinations lungs, liver and other organs. For example, a brain scan if the tumor is located on the head. Oral cavity And nearby organs are examined for melanoma on the lips; photos of such dangerous moles can be seen on the Internet.

Video: “Dangerous moles! Is it worth removing and how to recognize melanoma in time?”

Signs of melanoma

Symptoms of melanoma can be expressed and hidden, signs are primary and secondary.

Among the first signals are changes in the shape, size and color of the nevus, as well as discomfort in the area of the mole - itching, bleeding, roughness, burning, swelling of the surrounding area, the appearance of new pigments around the nevus.
Secondary symptoms are more serious. This is the appearance of bleeding from a mole and pain.
Metastatic melanoma is characterized by the appearance of cough, subcutaneous nodes and indurations, enlarged lymph nodes, and violations of the integrity of the skin in different places.

Treatment

Melanoma is treated in different ways.

A malignant mole is removed surgically, by excision or deep removal of the tissue of the nevus itself and around it.
A more gentle method is laser treatment.

It should be borne in mind that after removal the wound heals slowly, especially with regard to surgical intervention.

Hardware technology is characterized by a shorter recovery period and minor consequences of removal.

There are practically no marks left on the body and face.

To exclude recurrence of tumor development, chemotherapy and radiation are used.

In order to choose a treatment method, look at the reviews, how the removal ended and how many were satisfied and healthy patients after surgery. Such records can be found in the journals of any clinic, as well as on the Internet. The price for operations in Moscow is affordable.

Cost of mole removal in prestigious clinics in Moscow

Prevention

To prevent a mole from degenerating into a malignant one, it is necessary to monitor its development and consult a doctor if there are any signs of change.

In addition, you need to protect yourself from sunburn, injuries, do not cauterize bleeding moles with iodine and use folk remedies only by agreement with the doctor.

Video: “Removing moles. Quick and painless"

There are moles on every person's body, medical language nevi. The majority of nevi, about 90%, appear at a young age, up to 25 years. But it happens that under the influence of various factors they arise later, for example, during pregnancy or as a result of moving to a country with a different climate. Moles may be different sizes, shapes and colors, all this is a completely normal physiological process, but there are a number of points that should be wary. If a mole begins to quickly increase in size, bleed, or change its color and outline, you should pay special attention to these signs. Perhaps it is these changes that indicate that mole cancer has occurred.

How to distinguish a mole from melanoma and what affects the degeneration of a nevus?

A doctor involved in diagnostics is a dermato-oncologist; if such a highly specialized specialist cannot be found, you can contact a dermatologist, surgeon or oncologist for an initial examination. An experienced doctor will be able to visually determine the nature of the mole. A visual examination is carried out using a dermatoscope, a device whose functionality resembles a magnifying glass. Thanks to the device, you can see nevus structures that are invisible to the naked eye.

After examination, if the doctor suspects that the formation has signs of a malignant process, a biopsy is performed (sampling of suspicious tissue for further histological examination). Based on the examination, the type and nature of the atypical process is determined.

Afterwards, additional necessary studies are prescribed:

chest x-ray (to exclude the presence of metastases in the lungs, since the respiratory tract is the main place for localizing a secondary formation);
a blood test for oncology, it allows you to determine the functional performance of the liver, kidneys and other organs. A blood test for cancer does not establish a diagnosis, but provides grounds for further research;
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity to exclude secondary tumors in the peritoneum.

Treatment of cancerous moles

Treatment is quite specific, the main method, without exception, is surgical removal education. In addition to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy can be used, but these methods are ineffective for melanoma; for this type, only radical excision is necessary. Relatively new and effective methods at an early stage of the disease is considered laser coagulation and cryodestruction.

Regarding the main type of treatment - surgery, the volume of tissue excision depends on. If the first stage is diagnosed, the neoplasm is excised, including 0.5 centimeters of healthy tissue. If the second stage is detected, the volumes of healthy tissue are cut off within one centimeter. If the thickness of the tumor in the inner layers of the dermis is more than two millimeters, regardless of the stage, at least two centimeters of healthy skin must be removed.

At the same time, increasing the recommended limits of skin excision is inappropriate, since a feature of skin cancer is early metastasis, and not local recurrence. The exception is the desmoplastic version of melanoma; it is characterized by the development of local relapses, therefore, during excision, at least three centimeters of healthy tissue are captured.

After removal of a mole, cancer tends to recur and, more often, metastasize; for this reason, the entire body must be examined to identify micrometastases and secondary tumors in distant organs. Regional lymph nodes are the first to metastasize, therefore, as a rule, lymphadenectomy is used.

For individual metastases, surgery is used in the following cases:

the presence of resectable, individual metastases, the removal of which improves the prognosis;
resectable metastases, without removal, life threatening patient;
resection to reduce the tumor mass for a better subsequent outcome drug treatment chemotherapy drugs.

What is radiation for oncology? This is the question that the patient’s relatives and the patient himself ask when faced with oncological diseases. Irradiation implies a method of exposing the tumor area or the entire body to radioactive rays, depending on the location of the tumor. The activity of radio rays leads to the death of cancer cells, which helps stop their division and reduce the tumor itself. But in the case of melanoma, radiation options are limited. As a rule, the technique is used for palliative purposes in the later stages of the disease, in case of metastases affecting bones or other anatomical structures to relieve pain and improve the patient’s quality of life. Radiation therapy is also advisable for tumor metastasis to brain structures; for this localization of secondary tumors, radiation is the priority treatment method.

Cancerous moles in most cases are not sensitive to chemotherapy. The advisability of using cytostatic drugs arises only in cases of metastatic melanoma.

In this case, the following drugs are considered effective:

temozolamide;
fotemustine.

More acceptable for skin lesions is the mono regimen of chemotherapy. Compared to polychemotherapy, it increases the response rate to treatment by approximately 30%, but this fact does not indicate an increase in patient survival. Due to the high toxicity of the polio regimen, its use is indicated only if the neoplasm is resistant to monochemotherapy.

Cryotherapy and laser destruction are used only at the first stage of oncology, when the tumor is not large and has not grown into the inner layers of the dermis, otherwise the technique will not be effective.

Forecast

Despite the fact that melanoma is an aggressive tumor with characteristic rapid metastasis, the advantage of such a tumor is its external localization, which makes it possible to detect the disease at an early stage. So, if you pay attention to your body and contact specialists when you detect the first changes in the growth pattern and visualization of a mole, it is quite possible to identify the beginning at the first stage. At surgical intervention at stages 1-2, the survival prognosis is more than 90%. At the same time, moles and cancer in late stages have an unfavorable prognosis; the five-year survival rate at stages 3-4, according to statistics, does not exceed 20%.

Remember that a mole itself is not dangerous, but if its structure, shape, color begins to change, or it begins to rapidly increase in size, this is a reason for concern. Early diagnosis and excision of the malignant tumor leads to complete cure, do not start the disease!

Informative video on the topic: the meaning of moles on the human body

Malignant moles or skin cancer - oncological pathologies or melanomas, which develop from melanocytes that form the basal layer of the epidermis. In other words, a malignant mole occurs on a pigmented area of the skin. This can be any area of the body, but most often cancerous moles appear in areas that are exposed to regular ultraviolet radiation.

Mole cancer, called melanoma, is the most dangerous form. That is why doctors recommend regularly examining your body for tumors, since not in all cases they may be benign. You need to know what your mole looks like on your body if it is transformed.

Causes

Determine exactly what is causing the appearance of benign moles, is not yet possible, since there is not enough information on this topic. But it is possible to identify factors that are fundamental in the development of cancer.

These include ultraviolet radiation, which affects benign moles that a person has. This can be either the sun or bactericidal lamps.

A predisposition to the occurrence of low-quality moles is found in those people who are endowed with red hair and white skin type.

Hereditary predisposition also matters. So, cancer moles may appear in people whose relatives had such neoplasms. The rule for preventing oncological moles in such people is to limit exposure to the sun at unsafe hours. You should avoid going to the solarium.

If there are multiple benign moles on the body (more than 50), it is recommended not to go to the solarium and not to be in direct sunlight, especially in summer. When visiting the beach, it is important to be in the shade.

The degeneration of a mole into a malignant neoplasm can be observed both in young and old age. But in old age, the risk of development increases. Treatment is complicated by the fact that old age the body is no longer completely healthy and from taking necessary medications the development of undesirable reactions is possible.

The gender of a person also matters. Thus, in men, the degeneration of a mole into a malignant one is more common than in women. No explanation has yet been found for this fact.

During pregnancy, any exposure ultraviolet rays is detrimental to a woman's health. At strong pigmentation there is a risk of cancer on the body.

Symptoms and manifestations

And yet, both people with white skin type and representatives of other people and races are susceptible to such malignant neoplasms. Malignant moles can occur in a person from any country of residence.

The first symptoms of such a neoplasm may differ in each specific case. As a rule, the first signs are the deformation of an ordinary mole.

At the same time, the appearance of new moles is noted in very fast order. After about two weeks, you can notice a new formation, including 10-20 moles.

IN initial stage cancer cells cover surface layer skin, subsequently developing into the inner layers. Each of this number of moles will suffer deformation. If the suspicious moles are not deformed, this means that there is no melanoma.

Signs of a malignant neoplasm can be identified independently. In any case, when there is a rapid growth of moles, you need to seek the help of a doctor. Self-diagnosis is as follows.

You need to see what a mole looks like. When a mole develops benignly, its symmetry is noted, that is, its two hemispheres are the same size. With poor quality development, one half will be larger than the second.

The color shade of a tumor can tell you a lot. So, when combining several colors, it is important to tell your doctor about it.

A normal mole, that is, benign, should not be more than 6 mm in diameter. If this size is exceeded, this indicates a poor-quality course of the pathology.

Treatment of the disease

Skin cancer can be cured, especially with the latest technologies in modern medicine. Treatment will be especially effective when timely detection diseases. Bad moles, that is, substandard, can be treated with surgery, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Define required type treatment can be done by determining information about the stage of the pathology, the person’s health status and his age.

The early stage of the pathology requires surgical treatment. Typically, the operation is extreme method treatment, after which other methods of eliminating the disease are not needed. In some cases, a biopsy is performed during surgery lymph nodes to determine how far the tumor has spread.

If the tumor has spread to the area of the lymph nodes, treatment methods other than surgery are prescribed. Advanced stages of the pathology require combination treatment. In this case, the tumor must be removed using surgery and radiation therapy.

If the first signs of the disease are detected, the following sequence of actions by the doctor can be identified:

conducting an initial examination by a doctor;
carrying out necessary measures diagnostics;
if necessary, conduct additional research;
prescription of treatment;
recovery period.

Preventive measures

As already noted, skin cancer can occur at the hereditary level. The main rule for preventing such malignant neoplasms is prevention. This is why it is important to limit your stay on direct lines. sun rays, in the solarium and on the beach.

There is a hypothesis that malignant neoplasms, that is, skin cancer, can occur in case of previous skin burns in the sun. Who among us didn’t run in the sun as a child and get sunburnt? And any part of the body not protected by clothing was subject to this. With age, a process of dangerous changes has begun in the body, and under the influence unfavorable factors the external and internal environment began to degenerate.

There are no universal methods for preventing cancer. The main rule is to protect your skin in summer and monitor its condition.

How dangerous is malignant neoplasm?

The main complication of such a neoplasm is the process of spread of pathology to other organs and tissues in the body.

When skin cancer spreads hematogenously, that is, covering blood vessels, sedimentation of metastases can be diagnosed in any organ. If skin cancer spreads through the lymphatic tract, it will be possible to talk about damage to the nodes themselves.

To prevent malignancy of the nevus, especially if it is localized in places of systematic trauma by clothing, it is recommended to remove it.

Complications may arise due to self-treatment, without consulting a doctor. Therefore, it is important to follow all doctor’s instructions and not self-medicate.