What are the changes like?

getting darker and bigger.

As people grow older they tend to develop more moles and some of already existing moles are prone to change and are getting bigger and darker.
Where is the mole located?
Has the mole grow rapidly over a short period?
Do you find it painful?
Is it bleeding?

It's on my mums leg above her knee. It has grown over a period of about 8 months. Its about 1.5cm and is dark brown with pink bits in it. It is not painful but it did bleed once about 4 months ago.

I'll suggest you to make an appointment with a dermatologist for your mum, immediately.
Bleeding without provoking it or oozing from the mole is an imperative to be checked for melanoma by a doctor.
Women, usually, have melanoma lesion on their limbs.
Melanomas usually are multi-colored or with different shades of brown and black, sometimes with areas of red, blue, or white.
Is this lesion having irregular borders( uneven edges )?
Do you find it asymmetrical( when one half of the growth has a different shape than the other )?

Yes it has irregular borders and is asymmetrical. She is to have the mole removed. We do not have a date yet. I am so worried.

I understand your worrying.
The vast majority of people are diagnosed with early melanomas with no spread to lymph nodes or any other part of body. So, a simple removing of melanoma means cure.
Melanoma is more difficult to treat in later stages, but still depends on the type of melanoma.
Some melanomas are spreading more superficial, but others are going deeper in all skin layers.
Please, don't stress too much and feel free to ask me for help!

Thanks so much for your reply. This has been going on for a week and has been so hard. I can't eat or sleep. I don't know what I'd do without my mum. She's the most important person in my life.

I'm very worried that she has had this for 8 months. I feel like it might be too late for her.

Everything will be fine.
All cancer treatments are more and more advanced and successful.
You need to be positive in front of your mum. Don't make her worry after you.
Thinking of you and your family!

Signs of Melanoma

A: Asymmetry
B: Border Irregularity
C: Color - Blues, greens, purples.
D: Diameter - Should not be larger than the head of a pencil eraser.

MandMs you seem to know a lot about this. Have you had personal experience with it? Thank-you for your support. I feel a little better thanks to you.

I learned a little from college, but not a whole lot.
One of my good friends' father recently passed away from it.

I'm very happy I made you feel a little better.
I'm a medical student and I like to help, support and share informations with people whenever I can.
Please, feel free to write me anytime you want!
Best wishes!
Marija

Thanks MandMs. My mum just called the hospital. She has an appointment to go and get the mole removed on the 27th of this month. Thats 4 weeks away. Do you think that is too long to wait?

The fact that the doctor didn't take the mole out when he seen my mum last week really concerns me. Do you know why he would want to wait this long?

Seventy-five percent of melanoma undergo progressive change over a period of six months to as long as many years, during which time the malignancy develops, but may not spread (metastasize) to other sites in the body.
I can't say for sure if 4 weeks is a long period, but I'll suggest your mum to try to make another appointment with other dermatologist.
A biopsy is typically an outpatient procedure, performed in the doctor's office with only a local anesthesia.
I don't like the fact that the lesion was bleeding.
Sometimes it can indicate more aggressive and advanced melanoma.
So, please, try to find another dermatologist who can make biopsy earlier.

We are looking into other dermatologists but not sure if we can afford one.

The mole has only bled once a few months ago. Is that unusual?

Where you live exactly?
Was that bleeding provoked or it was spontaneous?

We live in Scotland.
We are not sure but we think my mum may have grazed the mole with a skin buffer and that's why it bled.

I think this will be interesting to read:
http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnew s/display.var.1096709.0.skin_cancer_gene_t raced_back_to_scotland.php