I HAVE A WEIRD MOLE ON MY HAND. COULD IT BE SKIN CANCER?
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Hi, I am 25 years old and I have a weird mole on my hand. I does not pain but could it be cancer?
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@tiana Hi Most moles are not cancerous. A good guideline for self-evaluating suspicious moles or skin growths, endorsed by the American Cancer Society, is the “A, B, C, D, E” for skin cancer as follows:
Asymmetry – Normal moles tend to be symmetrical. Skin cancers tend to be asymmetrical.
Border – Standard moles usually have even borders. Skin cancers usually have uneven borders.
Color – Non-cancerous moles or skin growths are a single, even color. Skin cancers can be multi-colored.
Diameter – Moles, skin tags, and other non-cancerous skin growths tend to be less than ¼” in diameter. Skin cancers are usually larger in diameter (up to 6mm).
Evolving – Normal moles do not grow larger or change shape. Skin cancers usually evolve.
If you’ve found a mole or skin growth fitting one or more of the above parameters, the only way to determine if it’s cancer is through a biopsy. During this procedure, a local anesthetic is applied to the area around the growth. A small section of it is cut out and sent to a lab for analysis. Tru-Skin Dermatology has performed thousands of quick, painless skin biopsies