‘SPOT THE SIGNS OF AN AT-RISK MOLE’

We tend to be more skin cancer-aware in summer, but Dr C wants us to be alert all year round

Two stories caught my eye recently. Lauri Murphy had a mole on her tummy that became itchy, but she assumed it was a pregnancy symptom, so ignored it. When it kept itching after she had her baby, she saw her doctor, who removed it that day.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

Doctors as well as patients can become so distracted by a pregnancy that they don’t notice anything else. Lauri’s was a superficial melanoma, but unchecked the cancer could have spread. It also shows that you should trust your instincts. The other story was about Jayne Hobbs, who went for a facial, where the beautician spotted that a mole on her chest had turned cancerous and urged her to see her GP. It had got darker but Jayne ignored it, thinking it changed colour thanks to her tan.

TAKE A PICTURE

Beauticians, hairdressers, chiropodists, masseurs and dentists are being trained to detect skin cancer by charity Skcin. That’s great, as they are often the ones who spot problems. Lots of my patients tell me their hairdresser spotted something on their scalp. There are also areas of our body we can’t see – like our backs and bottoms – where a beautician may spot a worrying mole.

Just as you should check your breasts monthly, you should also self-examine your skin – all year round. Every month, ask someone to take a picture of any big moles you can’t see with a coin or ruler beside it for scale, so that you can see if it grows or changes over time.

Skin cancer risk factors include family history, working outside, having fair skin and having been badly burnt. People with lots of moles or freckles are at greater risk, too. As well as backs, bottoms and scalps, keep an eye on palms, soles of your feet, toes, fingers and under your nails. Diagnosing skin cancer for black skin has been problematic for years, as medical textbooks are full of white people. Get to know your skin and you should spot when it’s changed. There are also photographs on www.asds.net.

GET CHECKED

Check if one half of the mole is different to the other, look for an irregular border, uneven colour, a mole bigger than 6mm across or any changes to a mole. Also check for “ugly duckling moles” that look significantly different to the rest, anything that keeps bleeding and won’t heal, or little ulcers and crunchy lumps. Be body aware and, if in doubt, get it checked out.