People with more than 50 moles are believed to have an increased risk of developing skin cancer, but new research reveals individuals with fewer moles tend to suffer from more aggressive cases of melanoma.
The phenomenon may be a result of the fact that people with more moles are generally more aware of their skin cancer risk, and are more likely to take preventative action and get regular skin checkups, the American Academy of Dermatology reported. The findings highlight the importance of melanoma awareness, even for lower risk individuals.
To make their findings, a team of researchers looked at the charts of 281 melanoma patients, 89 of whom had more than 50 moles. The results revealed patients with fewer moles generally had "thicker," more aggressive cases of melanoma than those with 50 or more moles. Those with more than 50 moles were found to be more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma at a younger age than those with fewer moles.
The seemingly counterintuitive results may be a result of the fact that doctors are more likely to educate patients with many moles on skin cancer prevention and detection; and patients with more than 50 moles generally have more frequent skin examinations, allowing their melanoma to be detected at an earlier stage. There is also a chance the results could be linked to biological differences between patients with more than 50 moles and those with fewer.
"We already know that melanomas are not all the same genetically," said board-certified dermatologist Caroline C. Kim, director, pigmented lesion clinic, and associate director, cutaneous oncology program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School.."It's possible that there are different pathways that drive melanoma in these two patient groups, resulting in different degrees of aggressiveness. If patients with fewer moles are more prone to aggressive melanoma, then we need to make sure that they are also being educated and screened, in addition to patients with many moles."
Kim noted additional large-scale studies will be necessary to confirm her findings, and urged the importance of looking into the biological factors behind the results.
"This research reminds us that everyone needs to be alert for melanoma, whether they have many moles or just a few." Kim said. "Make sure you know how to examine yourself for signs of skin cancer, and bring any suspicious spots to a board-certified dermatologist's attention."
The findings were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology 2015 Summer Academy Meeting.
