A member asked:

How often could a mole look like melanoma but it turns out to be nothing?

6 doctors weighed in across 4 answers

Melanoma : A dermatologist is often able to detect a melanoma upon visual inspection and confirm the diagnosis with a simple skin biopsy. So more often than not a mole suspected of being melanoma turns out to be positive for melanoma once tested.

Answered 5/21/2013

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Frequent: But always have it biopsied.

Answered 9/15/2013

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Dr. Thomas Fiala answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Better safe...: Than sorry. Even expert dermatologists can be fooled. The only sure way to tell is to have the area biopsied.

Answered 9/15/2013

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Dr. Christopher Khorsandi answered

Specializes in Plastic Surgery

Depends: Melanoma is a serious disease. The scary part is that mucosal melanomas, the type found on areas such as the vagina can be non-pigmented and not look like a typical melanoma at all. If you are concerned, see a dermatologist immediately. Early diagnosis can lead to a cure while delay in diagnosis can be fatal. It may merely be a benign mole and the piece of mind you can get is priceless.

Answered 12/10/2013

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