DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have about 15 moles all over my body. They feel like sandpaper, itch, and are different sizes. Two on my back were a deep black. They fell off and the spots are flat and itch.
The last time I went to a doctor was about four years ago. I told her I was tired all the time and that my ears turn a beet red. Her answer was, “that’s the price you pay for being a woman”.
Do you think I might have skin cancer?
DEAR READER:
A mole is a small, raised growth on the skin that is ordinarily dark and painless, but can be annoying if it is located on a belt line or other area that is constantly irritated by clothing. As a general rule, lesions can be considered harmless unless they grow, darken, or change in some other way. When this occurs, a visit to a physician is in order.