MALIGNANT
MELANOMA
What
is it?
Malignant melanoma is the skin cancer that is most likely
to metastasize (spread through the blood stream to other
parts of the body). It is often triggered by repetitive
sun exposure. With our societies preoccupation with tanning,
malignant melanoma is unfortunately on the rise. (Some forms
of melanoma are not sun-related; these forms of cancer have
not been rising in incidence.) In addition to those exposed
to sunlight, other people at risk for getting melanoma include
people with a light complexion (freckles), light hair color
with blue, green, or gray eyes, people with a history of
a severe sunburn before age 20, a family history of melanoma
or other skin cancer, or those with multiple, unusual, or
congenital moles (a mole that some people are born with
- see picture below).
What's
it look like?
Melanoma takes many different forms. The most common is
known as "superficial spreading" melanoma and usually begins
as a tan spot that may slowly grow and change. Another type
of melanoma is called "nodular" melanoma and usually develops
in a black, blue or white mark that rapidly grows into a
bump. To find out if your mole could be a melanoma, a doctor
will need to examine you. If your mole is suspicious appearing
(see The ABCDEs of melanoma to see what makes a mole suspicious),
your doctor will likely take a small sample of it (biopsy)
and/or refer you to a surgeon to do so.
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Melanoma
(superficial spreading) of the nose
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Melanoma
(superficial spreading) of the foot
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Melanoma
(nodular) on the arm
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Congenital
mole (nevus)
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How
do I avoid getting it?
Prevention is the best way to avoid this disease. Though
malignant melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, and
is not always caused by sun-damage to skin, the majority
of new cases are caused by repetitive sun-exposure and chronic
sun-damage. Minimizing sun exposure will significantly decrease
your risk of getting melanoma. (Please refer to our page
on minimizing sun exposure to learn exactly how to do this.)
Avoiding sunburns and wearing sunscreen (SPF of 15 or better)
on all exposed skin is important in preventing this disease.
Keeping a good lookout for changing moles is the key to
finding melanoma early.
How's
it treated if I get it?
Treatment of melanoma is initially surgical. Because melanoma
can spread so quickly, EARLY DIAGNOSIS and removal of the
suspicious or cancerous mole is crucial! (See The ABCs of
finding suspicious moles.) Once melanoma has spread, it
is much more difficult to treat. You should tell your doctor
if you have any moles or new growths that are changing.
Studies are underway to see if certain chemotherapies with
or without radiation treatment can be effective, but thus
far we do not have any great treatments for metastatic melanoma.
Other research, including a vaccination that strengthens
the body's own response to the cancer, is currently underway.
Additional
Information For more information on malignant melanoma,
click here.
