Have you recently seen a new mark on your body and freaked out with concern that it was cancerous?
It is important to understand the difference between existing spots, freckles and moles and potentially cancerous moles. A common mole usually has an even color of pink, tan or brown.
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone practice monthly head-to-toe self-examinations of your skin, so that you can find any new or changing lesions that might be cancerous or precancerous. If you notice anything new or different, it's time to go see your dermatologist.
Board certified dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Dr. James A. Yiannias, MD, explains the warning signs of (and factors surrounding) cancerous moles and what to look for during self-examinations.
Selected Podcast
Spotted: Identifying Cancerous Moles
Featuring:
Dr. Yiannias is a Board Certified Dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Scottsdale, AZ. He is a general dermatologist with specialty and published research expertise in allergic contact dermatitis and oral diseases. In addition to his clinical duties, he currently serves as the Associate Medical Director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation.
Dr. Yiannias was born in Houston, Texas, and attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1988 and performed his Dermatology Residency at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. He was appointed to the staff of Mayo Clinic in 1992.
Dr. Yiannias served as the Dermatology Residency Program Director from 1999-2005 and the Chair of Dermatology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona from 2007 until 2013.
He has received the American Academy of Dermatology highest honor, Gold Triangle Award and the American Contact Dermatitis Society Presidential Citation for his creation of the skin allergy management program called CARD, the Contact Allergen Replacement Database.
James A. Yiannias, MD
Dr. Yiannias is a Board Certified Dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Scottsdale, AZ. He is a general dermatologist with specialty and published research expertise in allergic contact dermatitis and oral diseases. In addition to his clinical duties, he currently serves as the Associate Medical Director for the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation.Dr. Yiannias was born in Houston, Texas, and attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1988 and performed his Dermatology Residency at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. He was appointed to the staff of Mayo Clinic in 1992.
Dr. Yiannias served as the Dermatology Residency Program Director from 1999-2005 and the Chair of Dermatology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona from 2007 until 2013.
He has received the American Academy of Dermatology highest honor, Gold Triangle Award and the American Contact Dermatitis Society Presidential Citation for his creation of the skin allergy management program called CARD, the Contact Allergen Replacement Database.