Almost everyone has many dark moles on their body, some are born with them and some appear slowly later in life. However, pigmented moles are basically harmless as long as they do not undergo abnormal changes and their shape and color are stable over time. Mole vs melanoma The appearance is very different The clinical manifestations of common moles are diverse. However, they tend to be less than or equal to 6mm in diameter, have uniform and symmetrical surface, uniform pigmentation, round or oval shape, regular shape and clear boundary. Common acquired melanocytic nevi begin to appear after 6 months of life, and the number of nevi increases during childhood and adolescence, reaching a peak in the early 20s, and then slowly fading with age. Melanoma, also known as malignant melanoma, is a type of malignant tumor derived from melanocytes, commonly found in the skin, but also in the mucous membranes, eye choroid, and other areas. Melanoma is more malignant among skin tumors and is prone to distant metastases. Risk factors 1. Familiality – About 10% of melanomas are familial, and there is considerable genetic heterogeneity among different families, suggesting that the disease involves multiple genes. 2. Atypical nevi – In cases diagnosed with melanoma, approximately 10-20% of melanoma occurrences are associated with nevi. The risk of malignant melanoma in individuals with atypical nevi is 3-20 times higher than in the general population. Patients with more than 5 clinically atypical nevi have a higher risk of developing melanoma. 3. High number of moles – There is a strong association between a high number of moles (more than 25) and melanoma. Patients with more than 100 moles have a higher risk of developing melanoma. 4. Sunlight or UV exposure-Clinical and epidemiological evidence suggests that melanoma incidence is higher in people with extensive or repeated high-intensity exposure to sunlight. Clinical features of melanoma – the “ABCDE rule” of melanoma 1. asymmetry; 2. border irregularities; 3. Color variegation) (i.e., different colors in the same area); 4, Diameter greater than 6 mm; 5, Enlargement orevolution of color change, shape, or symptoms symptoms) (papillary proliferation, protruding pseudopods, rupture, pruritus, burning, etc.). Removal of nevus in vivo test 1.If you can’t identify it, and you really feel uncomfortable, just go to the doctor to remove it. 2.Note that it is excision, not mole spotting! 3.Excise the nevus and surrounding cells (2 to 3 times the area of the nevus) directly, and the removed melanocytes can be tested for neoplasia for early detection and treatment. Or if there are moles on your body that have become larger, lighter, itchy and painful in a short period of time, you should remove them as soon as possible for examination. 4. The diagnosis of melanoma requires biopsy (commonly known as biopsy), through which the doctor can distinguish harmless moles from melanoma and also find out whether the tumor cells have spread. Melanoma is not a terminal disease Many people think that melanoma is a terminal disease, but in fact, pre-melanoma can be cured. Nowadays, the common treatment of enlarged resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and interferon can control melanoma relatively well in the pre-melanoma stage. However, if melanoma spreads massively, with advanced spread to the brain and lymphocytes, the mortality rate is extremely high.