Many people have moles on their faces or bodies. If it is not obvious, most people may not pay much attention to it, but if it is obvious, everyone will try every means to remove it. Some people have moles on their faces or bodies. Black moles are particularly obvious. In fact, some are not moles but melanomas. So what is the difference between moles and melanoma? What is the difference between moles and melanoma?

1. What is a nevus?

Medically called nevus cells or melanocytic nevus, it is a skin manifestation caused by an increase in melanocytes in the epidermis and dermis. If it is higher than the skin surface and has a dome-like or nipple-like appearance, it is called an intradermal nevus; if it is slightly higher than the skin surface, it is mostly a mixed nevus; if it is not higher than the skin surface, it is a junctional nevus.

2. Classification of moles

(1) Intradermal nevus

The most common type of pigmented nevus in adults, it grows slowly and is stimulated by sex hormones Stronger, often enlarged and darkened during adolescence.

(2) Junctional nevus

The clinical manifestations of the nevus are flat, unclear edges, and smooth surface with no hair. It can generally be seen in any part of the body, but is more likely to occur on the palms, toes or transitional epithelial areas. The nevus cells in junctional nevus have active proliferative characteristics and may transform into malignant melanoma.

(3) Mixed nevus

The appearance is similar to a junctional nevus, and sometimes hair may grow out. The pathological changes of mixed nevus have the characteristics of both junctional nevus and intradermal nevus, and contain little or no melanin.

3. What is melanoma

Melanoma is a tumor produced by melanocytes in the skin and other organs. Some research data suggest that its occurrence is related to the following risk factors: genes, environment and genetic/environmental homogeneous factors. For example, atypical (dysplastic) nevus or family history of melanoma, skin with light-induced pigmentation, skin that is not easy to tan, people with red hair, strong intermittent sun exposure, sunburn, multiple melanocytic nevus, etc. The clinical symptoms of cutaneous malignant melanoma include bleeding, itching, tenderness, ulcers, etc. Generally speaking, the symptoms of melanoma are related to the age of onset. Young patients generally present with itching, color changes and enlarged boundaries of skin lesions, and elderly patients Patients typically present with ulcerated skin lesions, which usually indicates a poor prognosis.

4. How to distinguish

The National Cancer Institute of the United States has proposed the "ABCDE" method for early diagnosis of malignant melanoma. As long as you master the following 5 points, ordinary moles and malignant melanoma can be distinguished. It’s not difficult to identify. The so-called "ABCDE" represents five symbols, namely the first letter of the English word asymmetry, edge, color, diameter and progress.

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

2. Border: The edges of ordinary moles are smooth and clearly demarcated from the surrounding skin, while the edges of malignant melanoma are irregular and change into jagged shapes. In addition, the surface is rough with scaly or flaky desquamation, sometimes there is exudation or blood, and the lesions are higher than the skin.

3. Color: Ordinary moles are usually tan, brown or black, while malignant melanoma will be brown or tan mixed with pink, white, blue and black. Among them, blue is the most ominous, while white indicates spontaneous degeneration of the tumor. Nodular malignant melanoma is always blue-black or gray.

4. Diameter: The diameter of ordinary moles is generally less than 5 mm, while the diameter of malignant melanoma is greater than 5 mm.

5. E (Elevation): refers to the continuous development of the above ABCD situation. If the skin pigmented nevus has the above-mentioned ABCDE changes, you must not take it lightly.

Like other tumors, melanoma must also be diagnosed through histopathological sections. Once melanoma is highly suspected, pathological examination is necessary.

5. Black moles deteriorate into melanoma

1. Benign melanomas become malignant due to repeated friction, grabbing and damage. In particular, not enough attention is paid to the moles that grow on the feet, female private parts and other parts that are prone to friction. Even for the sake of appearance or fear of trouble, moles are squeezed and rubbed for a long time, which eventually leads to cancerous moles

< p>2. For the sake of beauty, indiscriminately adding moles, excessive use of cosmetic products, and some people even use chemical corrosives to remove moles on the skin, resulting in chemical pollution of the skin.

What's more, it stimulates the excessive proliferation of melanocytes and accelerates the deterioration of moles. This is the most common reason why benign moles turn into melanoma.

3. There are still many melanoma patients who are elderly. This is not a phenomenon that occurs because the disease develops slowly, but because as the human body ages, our immune function does gradually decline. Low immune function is another important reason for melanoma.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania believe that moles or tumors are genetically determined. Their research found that a key gene, CDKN2B (encoding p15 protein), causes moles to stay in a state of non-spreading and non-growth. This gene may lead to only "one step" from moles to melanoma. When the relevant gene mutates, it may lead to the overgrowth of melanocytes, which acts like opening a valve for melanin growth, leading to the emergence of malignant melanoma.

6. Summary

Nevus and melanoma are both derived from melanocytes. Most ordinary nevi will not develop into malignant tumors. Only a few pigmented nevi, especially giant congenital nevi, have the possibility of malignant transformation. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the discoloration of moles. The incidence of melanoma in China is very low. Among the Chinese Han population, the most common sites of disease are the hands and feet.

7. Traditional therapy:

Use 1 piece of Amaranth bark, 1 pound of rice soup, add 1 egg white, boil and let cool, use medicinal water to wash the dark spots in the morning, and after a few days The spots are removed.

Use 10 grams each of fresh lime and soda ash, add a little alcohol and mix thoroughly. Apply once a day. The mole will disappear after 7 days.