Melanoma Doesn't Hibernate

This means there is no season for melanoma, but rather, they can arise at any time. A recent MoleMap analysis of the NZ Cancer Registry also confirms this. It found that between 2003 and 2005 the number of cases of melanomas reported during winter rose by 24%.

So, potentially thicker melanomas and a larger number of melanomas reported means that winter is definitely not a good time to become complacent especially if you are at higher risk of developing melanoma (click here to find out more about your own personal risk).

Self-Examination Is The First Step Towards Early Detection

A full body self examination enables you to detect any suspicious lesions that may be cancerous. Thinking ABCD can help you remember what to watch out for:

Asymmetry - The shape of one half does not match the other.
Border - The edges are often ragged, notched, blurred, or irregular in outline.
Colour - The colour is uneven. Shades of black, brown and tan may be present. Areas of white, grey, red, pink, or blue may also be seen.
Diameter - Size changes and usually increases.

Some melanomas do not fit the ABCD rule described above so if you notice a mole that:

• itches or bleeds

• is changing shape, size or colour

• is new
• is different from others

Don’t delay, it needs immediate professional attention!

When detected and treated early, melanoma skin cancer is nearly 100% curable.

Why Choose MoleMap?

MoleMap is the world’s most advanced melanoma skin cancer surveillance programme. We combine advanced technology with the skills of a panel of specialist dermatologists to diagnose melanoma skin cancer at the earliest possible stage.

Combining the latest technology with the skills of expert dermatologists is required as sometimes melanoma, especially early stage melanoma, is extremely difficult to diagnose. The following images help illustrate the varying levels of skill required to diagnose melanoma skin cancer:

Obvious (Melanoma) Skin Cancer:

These two images are of obvious melanoma cancer. These melanomas are generally more advanced, with poorer outcomes, and are usually initially identified by the patient.

Less Obvious (Melanoma) Skin Cancer:

 

Melanoma skin cancer such as these are harder to diagnose but are still generally picked up via a naked eye inspection by a doctor without the need for any tools to aid their diagnosis. Melanoma skin cancer such as these have better survival rates that those above.

Difficult to Diagnose (Melanoma) Skin Cancer:

These, usually very early stage melanomas, are considerably more difficult to diagnose with the naked eye and therefore require additional tools to help identify them. Melanoma skin cancer removed at this stage has close to 100% survivability, and if you have a melanoma, this is when you want it found & removed.

Additional tools that have been clinical proven to help diagnose subtle or undiagnosable skin cancer and are utilised by MoleMap include:

Total Body Photography (TBP):

TBP creates a complete record of your skin and is widely used for the management of at-risk patients particularly those with a large number of moles. TBP helps clinicians identify new moles (up to 50% of melanomas arise out of previously unmarked skin i.e. not out of existing moles) and pick up subtle changes in existing moles that may have gone unchecked if TBP were not available.

Several authors point out that TBP was the key factor in detecting melanoma skin cancer in their high risk patients.

Every new patient that has a MoleMap receives TBP to create a record, or baseline, of their skin to help our clinicians identify new/changing moles that may be indicative of melanoma skin cancer.

Digital Dermoscopy:

Dermoscopy combines high magnification and high light intensity to illuminate sub-surface features and vascular networks of pigmented lesions – diagnostic feature that cannot be observed with the naked eye alone.

The use of dermoscopy greatly enhances the diagnostic accuracy for melanoma skin cancer  i.e. more melanomas are identified using dermoscopy than relying solely on a naked eye inspection. Dermoscopy also helps reduce the need for unnecessary excision of benign lesions.

The diagnosis of melanoma via dermoscopy does require a high level of skill as some vascular features of melanoma skin cancer are very subtle even to a trained set of eyes. This is why MoleMap draws on the experience of an international panel of dermatologists to assess every mole of each MoleMap patient.

Digital Serial Monitoring:

If there is one universal truth about melanoma skin cancer then that is change. All melanomas change shape size or colour so having the ability to track moles over a period of time (3 months – 1 year) enables dermatologists to pick up changes that may indicate early stage melanoma skin cancer.

This process is especially useful for identifying clinically featureless melanomas (i.e. melanomas that look like a normal mole) that would otherwise be missed by a routine one off clinical observation.

So if you're concerned about a mole or lesion call us on 0800 MOLEMAP (665 3627) or book online now.