A young mother of four from Ketchikan, Alaska visited our clinic today to see Heather Haberman, my Physician Assistant. She was concerned about a mole that had been on her right cheek since she was a child. Over time, the mole had noticeably grown and changed in color, causing her and her family to be concerned.

Our inspection determined that the mole was 6 millimeters in diameter, raised, smooth, and fairly uniform in color with tan and beige in certain areas.

When we explained the mole should be excised (removed), she revealed that she was leaving for Alaska tomorrow morning. Knowing we only needed a half-hour for the surgery, we added her to our afternoon schedule.

Later that afternoon, we successfully excised the mole, putting in absorbable suture underneath and on top because she would not be able to return to the clinic.

Result:

It was good that we removed the mole because it did have a few atypical features after all.

Take away:

Even if a mole has been present for years, any change in color or size may be indicative of potential cancer and should be looked at by an expert dermatologist.