How to determine the size of a melanoma?

Melanoma generally appears on the surface of the skin, and in the late stage melanoma will gradually spread to the brain and lungs. In severe cases, it will seriously endanger the patient's life. Therefore, we must also learn to judge the size of melanoma. It is very important to learn to judge the size of melanoma. Let’s take a look at how to judge it!

1. Judge by the diameter. Common moles are generally less than 5 mm in diameter, while malignant melanomas are mostly larger than 5 mm in diameter.

2. Judge by color. Common moles are mostly brown, tan or black in color. Malignant melanoma often has a variety of colors. If the color suddenly deepens, turns black, turns blue or becomes lighter within a few months, it should be highly suspected to be malignant melanoma.

3. Judge from the edge. The edges of ordinary moles are smooth and clearly demarcated from the surrounding skin. The edges of malignant melanoma are often jagged and serrated, with unclear boundaries from surrounding normal tissues.

4. Judge from symmetry. By visual inspection, the tumor is divided into two parts in the center, and the benign mole is symmetrical on both sides. Malignant melanomas are irregular and asymmetrical in shape.

5. Judge from the changes. Ordinary moles do not change throughout the year and do not cause any discomfort. Malignant melanoma often grows larger in a short period of time, and the surrounding skin will experience bleeding, ulcers, and itching. It is difficult to heal after breaking, and may have symptoms such as ulcers or scabs, and many new small tumors will appear around it.

Through the above 5 methods, we can preliminarily determine whether the "mole" is benign or malignant. Of course, the scientific way to judge is to go to a dermatologist for a pathological section, and then consider whether excision is necessary through diagnostic analysis. From a medical point of view, not all moles require surgical removal, and different moles require different treatment methods.

Non-surgical method: 1. Liquid nitrogen freezing method. This therapy uses liquid nitrogen for cryotherapy, which has the advantages of no bleeding, less scarring and low cost. However, it is not suitable for particularly deep, large, black moles and certain special parts, and sometimes it takes multiple treatments to remove them; 2. Laser. Currently, the main treatment is carbon dioxide ultra-pulse laser, which has obvious effects, visual operation, controllable depth, little skin trauma and fast recovery.

Melanoma can be treated with surgery, but it is impossible to completely remove it through surgery. A tissue pathology examination must be done before this. Local anesthesia is also required during the operation. Generally, surgical incisions are prone to form scars, so patients must be careful whether to undergo surgery.