{"id":43246,"date":"2026-11-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissdermaclinic.ch\/how-often-should-moles-be-checked\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T00:01:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T23:01:10","slug":"how-often-should-moles-be-checked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissdermaclinic.ch\/en\/how-often-should-moles-be-checked\/","title":{"rendered":"How often should you have your moles checked?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In short:<\/strong> How often you should have your moles che\u00adcked by a doc\u00adtor depends on your per\u00adso\u00adnal skin can\u00adcer risk and on your skin fin\u00addings. For peo\u00adp\u00adle wit\u00adhout an increased risk, the Swiss Can\u00adcer League does not recom\u00admend sys\u00adte\u00adma\u00adtic rou\u00adti\u00adne exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adons. If your risk is increased, you should agree on a sui\u00adta\u00adble check-up plan with your der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgist. Regard\u00adless of this, a new, con\u00adspi\u00adcuous, chan\u00adging, itching or blee\u00adding mole should be exami\u00adned promptly.<\/p>\n

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Which interval is right for you?<\/h2>\n

\u00abOnce a year\u00bb is not a uni\u00adver\u00adsal ans\u00adwer. What mat\u00adters first is whe\u00adther it is a pre\u00adcau\u00adtio\u00adna\u00adry exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon wit\u00adhout sym\u00adptoms, moni\u00adto\u00adring a spe\u00adci\u00adfic mole or asses\u00adsing a chan\u00adge. The\u00adse situa\u00adtions call for dif\u00adfe\u00adrent decisions.<\/p>\n

The fol\u00adlo\u00adwing over\u00adview helps you deci\u00adde on the next step. It does not set a per\u00adso\u00adnal exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon date. If you alre\u00ada\u00addy have a check-up plan agreed with your doc\u00adtor, fol\u00adlow it and report any new chan\u00adges in addition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Your situa\u00adti\u00adon<\/th>\nWhat makes sense?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
No con\u00adspi\u00adcuous spots, no known increased risk<\/td>\nKeep an eye on your skin. The Swiss Can\u00adcer League does not recom\u00admend a blan\u00adket annu\u00adal rou\u00adti\u00adne check.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Many or unu\u00adsu\u00adal moles, skin can\u00adcer in the fami\u00adly or other risk factors<\/td>\nHave your per\u00adso\u00adnal risk asses\u00adsed by a doc\u00adtor and agree on sui\u00adta\u00adble check-up intervals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A spe\u00adci\u00adfic mole is alre\u00ada\u00addy being moni\u00adto\u00adred by a doctor<\/td>\nKeep the appoint\u00adment set for it. It may come ear\u00adlier than your next gene\u00adral skin check.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A spot chan\u00adges, looks unu\u00adsu\u00adal, itches or bleeds<\/td>\nCont\u00adact a der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgy prac\u00adti\u00adce prompt\u00adly and descri\u00adbe the chan\u00adge. Do not wait for the rou\u00adti\u00adne appointment.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As a pro\u00adfes\u00adsio\u00adnal gui\u00adde, inter\u00advals of six months to two years app\u00adly, depen\u00adding on the risk pro\u00adfi\u00adle. For sel\u00adec\u00adted moles, check-ups plan\u00adned by a doc\u00adtor after three months can make sen\u00adse. The\u00adse figu\u00adres are not a gene\u00adral Swiss scree\u00adning recom\u00admen\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon and not a wai\u00adting peri\u00adod for a new chan\u00adge. The Swiss Can\u00adcer League puts the indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal assess\u00adment first.<\/p>\n

If you do not yet know your risk, that is exact\u00adly the sen\u00adsi\u00adble first step: a one-off medi\u00adcal exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon of your skin shows whe\u00adther you belong to the group with an increased risk and how clo\u00adse\u00adly you should be moni\u00adto\u00adred in future. Per\u00adso\u00adnal advice on skin can\u00adcer scree\u00adning in Zurich<\/a> helps you plan fur\u00adther check-ups.<\/p>\n

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When is your risk increased?<\/h2>\n

The Swiss Can\u00adcer League lists seve\u00adral fea\u00adtures that point to an increased risk of skin can\u00adcer. The\u00adse include many pig\u00admen\u00adted moles, unu\u00adsu\u00adal shapes or colours, fair skin that burns easi\u00adly and fre\u00adquent sun\u00adb\u00adurn in child\u00adhood. A mela\u00adn\u00ado\u00adma in par\u00adents or siblings, a pre\u00advious skin can\u00adcer of your own and a wea\u00adk\u00aden\u00aded immu\u00adne sys\u00adtem are also relevant.<\/p>\n

A risk fac\u00adtor does not mean that you have skin can\u00adcer. It is a reason to talk about sui\u00adta\u00adble ear\u00adly detec\u00adtion. A sin\u00adgle fea\u00adture is also not enough to work out a fixed check-up inter\u00adval yours\u00adelf. So tell your doc\u00adtor what you know about skin can\u00adcer in your fami\u00adly and which medi\u00adci\u00adnes you take.<\/p>\n

The Swiss Socie\u00adty of Der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgy and Vene\u00adreo\u00adlo\u00adgy (SGDV) also points out the importance of UV expo\u00adsure, inclu\u00adding sun expo\u00adsure and sun\u00adbed use. Sun pro\u00adtec\u00adtion the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre remains important even if your last exami\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon was unre\u00admar\u00adkab\u00adle. A check-up detects pos\u00adsi\u00adble chan\u00adges, it does not pre\u00advent UV dama\u00adge to the skin.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When should you not wait?<\/h2>\n

An agreed check-up appoint\u00adment is no reason to post\u00adpo\u00adne asses\u00adsing a chan\u00adge you have noti\u00adced in the mean\u00adti\u00adme. Have a spot asses\u00adsed if it is new and con\u00adspi\u00adcuous, chan\u00adges or looks cle\u00adar\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from your other moles. Itching and blee\u00adding are also reasons to seek medi\u00adcal advice.<\/p>\n

The so-cal\u00adled ABCDE rule helps with observation:<\/p>\n