I had my skin checked to see if there were any possible signs that I could have skin cancer and learned about some signs and symptoms I thought were normal but that could actually indicate cancer. I was invited to the MOLE Clinic – which has locations across the UK, including London, Manchester and Glasgow – to name a few.
Screened by Angela Ryan at the Glasgow clinic, I was looked at from head to toe. I knew I had a few moles already on my wrist and my head, however I didn’t know I had some on my back and foot so what I assumed to be freckles were actually moles.
What happened at the appointment and were my moles normal?
I sat on the chair and stood in front of the mirror to be examined
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Image:
Sophie Buchan)
I sat down on a black reclined chair and had my whole body checked. Angela checked my scalp, my neck, behind my ears, my arms, legs, fingernails, toenails and the soles of my feet.
I was asked about family history of skin cancer, whether I burn easily, if I have been sunburnt a lot as well as if I use sunbeds. Luckily everything was good and my moles were normal.
There were no signs of abnormality or anything to be worried about. It’s easy to keep an eye on the mole on my wrist but of course it’s pretty hard to keep an eye on the moles which are located in areas like my scalp and back. Again, these looked like freckles so I didn’t think they were anything to keep an eye on, so had it not been for the appointment, I would have kept assuming the same mistake.
You need to know this
What’s normal and what’s not
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Image:
Sophie Buchan)
Angela showed me a sign of what is normal and what’s not and it turns out skin cancer can even show up as a mark on your fingernails and toenails. One thing, of many, I took away from the clinic which is pretty crucial is that if you have what looks like an injury to your nails – whether it’s on your finger or toe – keep an eye on it, especially if you don’t remember hitting it.
If it’s shown up out of the blue, you should get it checked out as soon as possible. The NHS says if you have the following, you should contact a doctor:
- you have a mole that’s changed size, shape or colour
- you have a mole that’s painful or itchy
- you have a mole that’s inflamed, bleeding or crusty
- you have a new or unusual mark on your skin that has not gone away after a few weeks
What results were sent to me?
I was sent results in less than 24 hours and, as nothing had to be sent away, it was a pretty quick turnaround. If any pictures had to be sent away, this would be done within three business days, which is still very quick.
If it needs looked at further such as a dermatologist, they can give you a letter for a referral, which is accepted by the NHS and insurance companies. So this should speed up the process.
In the letter it’s noted they they were “pleased to confirm that no further action is required at this time”. In their general recommendations, it was noted: “We recommend that you protect your skin from excessive UV when required by covering up and by using a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30+ and 4-5 star ultra violet (UVA) protection.
“We also recommend that you self-examine your moles and freckles at least every three months and return to us if you notice any which may be newer changing as skin cancers can appear at any time and early detection saves lives.”
Skin cancer and the sun
The MOLE Clinic warns that freckles are a sign of sun damage and increases the risk of skin cancer by double. Not only that, but an unusual-looking mole increases the risk even more by four times as much as those with normal-looking moles.
With this in mind, they say that people should avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its strongest. They ask that people cover their skin where possible, especially if sunburnt and that you use a “broad-spectrum” SPF. You should aim for factor 50 and above, they note, adding you should look for brands with a 4 or 5 stars as this rating will protect you against UVA.
For more information you can visit the MOLE clinic here. You should also read the NHS website here to help you identify moles which may look unusual.