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When a person has about 100 moles on the body, it is an indication that the risk of skin cancer is elevated. It may be a tedious task to perform a count of the moles covering your body. Nonetheless, it may also be life-saving to keep an eye out on any changes occurring with the moles.
According to a new study, a simple tool for determining the risk of melanoma is counting the moles on your right arm. Counting moles on the right arm predicts melanoma risk, although medical check-ups are highly recommended.
When a person has about 100 moles on the body, it is an indication that the risk of skin cancer is elevated. It may be a tedious task to perform a count of the moles covering your body. Nonetheless, it may also be life-saving to keep an eye out on any changes occurring with the moles.
The majority of moles tend to develop by the time a person reaches the age of 20. And while they tend to be benign, some may prove to be a sign of melanoma. That is why during regular medical check-ups it is necessary that a full count and analysis is performed by physicians.
A new study recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology established a link between the number of moles on one’s body and the risk of developing melanoma. The study was conducted on 3,694 female twins. The median age of those involved in the study was 47 years old. All twin pairs were followed from January 1995 until December 2003, the study including demographic data, as well as dermatological and other medical data.
The research team took into account the patient’s hair and eye color, skin type, mole count on 17 body sites and the number of freckles. All follow-up examinations were performed by trained nurses.
Overall, the study findings indicate that counting the moles on the right arm predicts melanoma risk. Moreover, the number of moles on this body site is an accurate indicator of the number of moles present on the body. According to the researchers, having more than 11 moles on the right arm is correlated with a nine times higher likelihood that there are 100 moles on the body.
Lead author on the study, Doctor Simone Ribero stated:
“It’s important because the number of moles on the body is strictly related to the risk of melanoma, and if you have more than 100 moles on your body, the risk increases by some five to six times in the white population”.
While counting moles on the right arm is a useful prediction tool, the researchers recommend regular physician visits and monitoring.
Photo Credits: jisc.ac.uk
