What is the difference between a mole and melanoma?

Almost everyone has one or two moles on their body, but because we often hear that moles may turn into melanoma, and melanoma is relatively difficult to treat, people with moles on their bodies often worry that their moles have turned into melanoma. So, what is the difference between a mole and a melanoma? How should we distinguish them?

There is an "ABCD" method for diagnosing early malignant melanoma. The so-called "ABCD" represents the first letters of four symbols, namely asymmetry, edge, color, and diameter. As long as you master the following 4 points, it is not difficult to distinguish between ordinary moles and malignant melanoma.

1. Asymmetry: The two halves of an ordinary mole are symmetrical, while the two halves of a malignant melanoma are asymmetrical.

2. Color: Ordinary moles are usually brown, brown or black, while malignant melanomas are brown or tan with pink, white, blue or black mixed in. Among them, blue is the most ominous, while white indicates that the tumor will spontaneously degenerate. Nodular melanomas are always bluish black or gray.

3. Border: The edge of an ordinary mole is smooth and clearly demarcated from the surrounding skin, while the edge of a malignant melanoma is irregular and has a serrated shape. In addition, the surface is rough with scaly or flaky desquamation, sometimes with exudate or bleeding, and the lesions are higher than the skin.

4. Diameter: The diameter of an ordinary mole is generally less than 5 mm, while the diameter of a malignant melanoma is larger than 5 mm.

Special attention should be paid to moles that are itchy or painful when pressed. If such moles continue to develop, they are likely to become ulcerative lesions, and the stinging or burning pain will become more obvious. Satellite nodules may also appear around them or regional lymph node enlargement may occur, indicating that the disease has progressed to the late stage.

When a black mole on the body suddenly begins to grow larger, or its surface becomes rough, and its edges become irregular, you should go to the hospital for a check-up in time to see if the mole has become malignant. The reason why melanoma is difficult to treat is that people usually do not pay attention to it. By the time they feel very uncomfortable, the melanoma has already reached the middle or late stages.