Can Two Moles in Different Areas Be Melanoma at Once?
What are the odds of two moles at the same time turning into melanoma? […]
Can Tattoos Over an Undiagnosed Melanoma Make It Spread?
Do you have tattoos and are worried that if you ever get melanoma under the ink, the ink will make it spread or quicken the spreading? […]
How Bad a Melanoma Can Be if It Was Ignored for 5 Years?
You know that odd mole is probably melanoma, but you decide to just “wait and see what happens.” If you do this for five years, how bad can the melanoma get? Well, that’s a fair [...]
Do Toe Melanomas Spread Faster than Other Locations?
A melanoma on a toe, either on the skin or under the nail, can be particularly unnerving vs. a melanoma elsewhere. […]
Can Melanoma Be Found After Mole Removal with Laser?
Just what exactly is the connection between melanoma being found where a mole was removed with a laser? […]
Skin Cancer Risk from Wearing a Bikini to Feel Confident
It's not about self-love. Perhaps some plus-size women want to be covered up at the beach to protect against skin cancer. Maybe the next full size woman you see covered up at the beach already [...]
Do Dark Skinned People Ever Get Basal Cell Carcinoma?
Even though basal cell carcinoma is a skin cancer heavily associated with sun exposure among Caucasians, those with dark skin can still get this disease. […]
Should Very Dark Skinned Children Wear Sunscreen?
It’s definitely important to apply sunscreen on your very dark skinned child, says a dermatologist who specializes in patients of color. Sunscreen advertisements always show fair skinned people putting it on. Advertising is very powerful, [...]
How Likely Is a Scab in the Nose that Won’t Heal Skin Cancer?
There are three kinds of skin cancer that can grow inside the nose and present as a scab that won’t heal. “Any scab that does not heal normally after one month should be evaluated because [...]
How Does a Dermatologist Check for Melanoma?
Here’s how to make sure a dermatologist is doing everything possible to check your skin and moles for signs of melanoma. […]
Why a Primary Melanoma Sometimes Can’t Be Found?
A person is diagnosed with metastatic melanoma but the original “bad mole” cannot be found; why IS this? It’s crucial to find that primary melanoma tumor so that it can be surgically excised. [...]
Is a Malignant Melanoma Different than just “Melanoma”?
“Malignant melanoma” vs. “melanoma.” Is there actually a difference in meaning when someone says malignant melanoma as opposed to just “melanoma”? […]
Will Several New Moles at Once Keep Happening in an Older Person?
If a middle age person suddenly gets several new moles, does this mean they’ll continue getting new moles for the rest of their life and thus have to worry about melanoma? […]
Are New Moles in Older Age Really Dangerous or Is Data Lacking?
So you’re scared like sh** that your tiny new mole is an early melanoma because you read that older people are not supposed to get new moles! […]
Is There a Such Thing As Nail Cancer?
Can cancer or melanoma actually develop in a fingernail, of all places? Perhaps you’ve seen photos of what appears to be melanoma in a nail—either a toenail or fingernail. You may wonder, how can a [...]
How a Doctor Mistakes Melanoma for Seborrheic Keratosis
Which is it? Has a doctor recently told you “It’s a seborrheic keratosis” and you’re still scared it’s a melanoma? Here’s what you should do. A melanoma can sometimes be mistaken for a [...]
Where on the Body Most Fatal Melanomas Are Located
A study involving over 51,700 melanoma patients revealed that two particular locations on the body are more likely to have a fatal melanoma. […]
Might a Bluish Black Freckle Be Melanoma?
Does that bluish black freckle (or what IS it?!) have you panicking it might be melanoma? “The bluish color in many pigmented lesions represents pigment that is deeper in the dermis than the pigment that [...]
How Fast Can Melanoma Spread After It First Appears?
Melanoma on the bottom of a foot. You of course may not think the tiny speck is melanoma, but over time, it’s going to get bigger or spread superficially. How long does this [...]
Does Melanoma Make You Get More Normal Moles Every Year?
So if you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma, will this make more normal or regular moles appear on your skin year after year? […]
Can You Get Melanoma from Scratching a Mole?
Whether you deliberately scratch an itchy mole or just happen to scratch it because it's in an itchy area, you may wonder if melanoma can be caused by this. Melanoma from scratching a mole is [...]
NEVER Pick Off a Melanoma, Says Dermatologist
Don’t even THINK about picking or scraping off that ugly or odd-looking mole that might be melanoma. “You should not try to rub off a growth that you suspect could be a melanoma,” says Dr. Janet [...]
Can You RUB Off a Melanoma?
This article is about rubbing off a melanoma, not scraping, picking or cutting. Ever wonder if melanoma can be literally rubbed off? For instance, with a fingertip, rag or piece of clothing? “It is not [...]
Can Scabs on Your Scalp Be Cancer?
Scabs on your scalp, even just a single one, can be cancer, says Dr. Janet Prystowsky, a board certified dermatologist in New York, NY, with over 25 years’ experience. “The most dangerous scab you can [...]
Can You Wash Off Melanoma? Dermatologist Answers
Here’s the final answer to “Can you wash off melanoma?” given by a doctor. I asked Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology, if it was possible to wash off any part of a melanoma. Dr. [...]
Two Ways Melanoma Can Become Deadly
If melanoma is caught early enough, it’s highly curable, but many people let it slip by, and this is how this deadly skin cancer can get past even health-conscious people. Two ways that this can [...]
Skin Cancer on Scalp: Prevention Tips for Bald Men
Here is the bald man’s complete guide by a dermatologist on skin cancer prevention and detection on his scalp. “Non-melanoma skin cancer is extremely common on the scalp in bald men,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, [...]
Can Itching Be the ONLY Symptom of Melanoma?
Perhaps you already know that an itching mole is a possible symptom of melanoma. But what most medical sites do not say is whether or not this itching is almost always, or usually, or sometimes [...]
Can Sun Spots Become Melanoma?
Sun spots mean there's been damage to the skin. Whether or not these might one day transform into melanoma is a fair question. “While sun spots do not automatically mean skin cancer, people with sun [...]
Mole with New Black Specks May Not Be Melanoma
Here’s a benign explanation for why you see new black spots in your mole that weren’t there before. Before I give this explanation, you should know that the new appearance of black in a pre-existing [...]
Why Is Melanoma So Hard to Treat?
All advanced cancers are difficult to treat, but one of the most difficult metastases to manage is melanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. However, researchers are closing in [...]
Small Moles Growing Together: Melanoma or Benign?
Here’s what a dermatologist says about small moles growing together and the possibility of melanoma. “Sometimes a normal existing mole (round and regular in shape) may seem to morph into a larger, irregular lesion,” says [...]
Baldness Increases Skin Cancer Risk; Bald Men Beware
Bald men need to be aware that, though bald may be beautiful, bald can also be deadly. Though skin cancer that grows on the scalp comprises only 2 percent of all skin cancers, this is [...]
Mole Removal with Laser Causes Regrowth of Moles
If you want a mole removed with a laser, the mole might grow back. Traditionally, the idea is that a laser beam will penetrate the mole’s surface area to disintegrate any abnormal cells, and the [...]
Can Small, Tiny Moles Turn Into Melanoma?
Can melanoma come from small, tiny moles? Do you believe a mole can never turn into melanoma as long as it’s small or tiny? If, during your monthly skin exams for cancer, you’ve decided to skip past [...]
The Youngest a Child Can Get Melanoma Skin Cancer?
How young is too young for a child to get melanoma? Children CAN develop melanoma -- the deadliest type of tumor that can arise from a type of skin cell known as the melanocyte: a [...]
Melanoma Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Technique Eliminates Second Surgery
A second surgery for sentinel lymph node removal, if you’ve just been diagnosed with melanoma, may not be necessary, if your doctor knows about the MCW Melanoma Cocktail. As a new skin cancer patient, you [...]
How Accurate Are Melanoma Biopsies?
Biopsies for diagnosing melanoma aren’t as accurate as you may believe. Biopsies for melanoma are not much more reliable than an 85 percent accuracy rate, according to chemistry professor Warren S. Warren, director of Duke [...]
Can You Pick Off Melanoma, How Much & Will it Spread
The questions should be how much melanoma can you pick off, and will picking at a melanoma make it spread? This deadliest of skin cancers doesn't just grow on the skin surface, but below it. "It is [...]
Mole Shave Biopsy on Lower Leg Healing Time
Find out how long it may take for a mole shave biopsy on your lower leg to heal. I had a shave biopsy on my lower leg for a mole that I was concerned about [...]