Skin Cancer Screening

Moles can be linked to skin cancer, especially if you have a family history of skin cancer linked to moles or melanoma. Examining yourself for moles can help early detection of melanoma (the deadliest type of skin cancer) and treatment.

If you have developed new moles or you have a relative that has a history of melanoma, you should visit your dermatologist at least once a year for a skin cancer screening.

Most moles are benign (non-cancerous), but those that look different from other existing moles or those that first appear in adulthood are often worrying.

If you notice changes in a mole’s colour or appearance, you should have a dermatologist evaluate it as soon as possible.

The following ABCDEs are vital signs of moles that could be skin cancer. If a mole displays any of the signs listed below, book an appointment with Dr Matilda Mphahlele immediately:

• Asymmetry: One half of the mole does not match the other half
• Border: The border or edges of the mole are ragged, blurred, or irregular
• Colour: The mole has different colours, or it has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red
• Diameter: The diameter of the mole is larger than the eraser of a pencil
• Evolving: The mole appears different from others or changes in size, colour, shape

Dr Matilda Mphahlele will perform a skin cancer screening using digital dermoscopic imaging. This is done with a handheld device called a dermatoscope or with a mole mapping device. Magnified pictures are taken, stored and compared with those taken at the next visit.