The number of people with non-pigmented and pigmented skin cancers has been increasing over the past decades. Globally every year there are between 2 and 3 million non-pigmented skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers. The main causes of skin cancer are genetic and ethnicity. Caucasian populations (light skinned) have a higher risk of getting skin cancers than dark-skinned populations. The sun is a major risk factor, so if you indulge in outdoor activity you will be subject to more sun exposure and increase the risk of getting skin cancer. A sun burn, harms your skin cells DNA and repetitive skin cell damage increases the risk of developing skin cancer.
King Harald V, the king of Norway
The Norwegian King is famous for his love of outdoor activities, skiing and sailing in particular. His sailing skills has won him a place in international competition, representing Norway, from World Championships, European Championships and the Olympics. With his sailing crew he won World Championship bronze, silver and gold medals, in 1988, 1982 and 1987, respectively. In July 2005, the King and his crew aboard the royal sailboat Fram XV won the gold medal at the European Championships in Sweden. He participated at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968 and in Munich 1972.
All these years in sailing have certainly exposed the King of Norway to the sun and the sun accumulates the sun damage to the skin over time.
Public figure and in the news.
A few weeks ago he held an inspiring speech to the Norwegian people about diversity, which went viral on the internet.
King Harald: ‘My greatest hope for Norway is that we will be able to take care of one another.’ Photograph: Ntb Scanpix/Reuters
The photo led us to question his mole on right chin. We are sure he is taken care of by great doctors, but we decided to investigate and see if we could determine if this was mole that has been changing over time and could be a risk in developing skin cancer.
One of First Derm’s dermatologist’s examined news photographs over time of the King’s evolving mole on right cheek.
This is what he had to say:
“Hopefully this is just a solar lentigo, a benign spot caused by the sun, but a precancerous lesion called lentigo maligna can’t be ruled out without examining it closer with a dermatoscope.” John Paoli, MD, Assoc. Prof – Specialist in Dermatology and Venereology
To help the Norwegian King track his mole we decided to send him the dermatoscope HÜD, which is a magnifying glass that helps take medical grade images with a smartphone.
Ask a dermatologist today if you have concerns about your skin
Norway map source: CAMILLA SAFE STAD VISJØ and TOM CITIES MOEN
2023 April Update
I had a look at a news image and it looks like the mole has grown. No further a do I sent a message to the kings home, The Royal Palace that he needs to get it checked by a dermatologist. It has definately grown in size and if we follow the ABCDE principles this mole has all the features in regards of malignancy.
King of Norway mole change ABCDE (with the Queen of Norway)
King or Norway mole change ABCDE close up
Message sent to the Norwegian Palace, the Kings home for an urgent mole check! (in Norwegian)
About 2,000 cases registered per year in Norway
- Requires medical diagnosis
- Symptoms: Abnormal growth in moles
- Color: Typically brown
- Location: Anywhere on the skin
- Treatment: Surgery, Chemotherapy
Incident Rate in Norway
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The Specialist doctor from the University Hospital in Gothenburg, alumnus UC Berkeley. My doctoral dissertation is about Digital Health and I have published 5 scientific articles in teledermatology and artificial intelligence and others.
