Should You Tell a Stranger Her Mole May be Suspicious?

[Anonymous]

In core class today, a woman who looked to be in her late 50s had a somewhat raised, very dark brown-blackish mole the diameter of a pencil eraser on her back.

I'm not a dermatologist and don't profess to have any medical knowledge about skin cancer. I'm a redhead who's had 2 uncles with melanoma (one died, one didn't). I get yearly skin checks and have had lots of questionable moles removed.

Would you have said anything?

[Anonymous]

Nah, it’ll get awkward after that. Just don’t stand behind her anymore.

[Anonymous]

Maybe just play this video for her

[Anonymous]

I don't know, but I will say that I have a friend whose skin cancer was identified by someone saying something to them. That said, the person was like a hairdresser or someone who was doing work on them, not a peer or stranger. So there was some training involved. If you are comfortable with the teacher you might ask their advice: "there is someone else in the class who I don't know who has what appears to be a suspicious mole. Do you have any thoughts about what to do in this case?"

FWIW also, lots of moles can be ugly or raised but are not cancer.

[Anonymous]

if you don't have any actual knowledge—and only a healthy concern about the general idea of skin cancer—mind your own business.

[Anonymous]

OP you sound like a busybody.

[Anonymous]

No. Only if you're a dermatologist.

[Anonymous]

When I was a teenager an adult pointed out a mole on my back to my mother (it was summer and I was wearing a tank top). We were very on top of my skin checks because I am very mole-y, but we weren't offended or anything, I don't see what the big deal would be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound like a busybody.

NP-Oh look, it's the "you sound like" poster, lol.

[Anonymous]

No. Had someone tell me I had a cancerous mole once. Not being a dermatologist they were wrong.

[Anonymous]

No, because nothing you said raises any concerns.

The main cause for concern is CHANGE (if the patient notices their moles changing over time). Then it's IRREGULARITY. Then there can be coloration variations within the mole that don't look right. But large size or darkness doesn't mean it's bad. Some cancerous moles are very light-colored.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not.

[Anonymous]

You don’t have a good reason to say anything, so no, but I like that your heart is in the right place and you crowdsourced opinions on your instinct before acting because you thought it might be off. You’re a good person.

[Anonymous]

I knew someone who was stopped in the street by a stranger who told him that his mole looked suspicious. It turned out to be melanoma and he died shortly after (it had metastasized).

[Anonymous]

My dermatologist said he has told someone (not a patient) to have a spot checked out.