Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and strikes tens of thousands of people around the world each year. The number of cases is rising faster than any other type of solid cancer

Medical definition

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in melanocytes, cells responsible for pigmentation of the skin. It is the most serious type of skin cancer that may arise in the skin, mucous membranes, eyes and central nervous system, at great risk of productions metastases. The change of developing it increase with age, but this disease affects people of all ages.

Melanoma is most common in people with fair skin, but can occur in people with all skin colors. In men, it’s often found on the skin on the head, on the neck or between the shoulders and the hips. In women, it’s often found on the skin on the lower legs or between the shoulders and hips.

Symptoms of melanoma

Often the first sigs of melanoma is a chance in the shape, color, size, or feel of an existing mole. This type of cancer may also appear as a new mole. If you have one of these warning signs, have your skin checked by a doctor.

The ABCDE rule is a guide to the usual signs of melanoma. Be on the lookout and tell your doctor about mole or spots that have any of the following features:

  • Asymmetry: The shape of one half does not match the other half.
  • Border that is irregular: The edges are often irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred in outline.
  • Color that is uneven: The color is not the same all over and may include different shades of black, brown, and tan may present. Areas of white, gray, red, pink or blue may also be seen.
  • There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas can be tiny, but most are larger than the size of a pea.
  • Evolving: The mole has changed over the past few weeks or months.

Itching, bleeding, inflammation are other signs and symptoms. Some melanomas don’t fit theses rules. It’s important to tell your doctor about any changes or new spots on the skin, or growths that look different from the rest of your moles.

How is it diagnosed?

At first, the diagnosis is clinical. If the doctor suspects that a spot on the skin is melanoma, the patient will need to have a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis.

How is melanoma treated?

Treatment for skin cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease, the size and place of the tumor, and your general health and medical history. In most cases, the goal of treatment is to remove or destroy the cancer completely.

Surgery is the most common treatment for melanoma. A melanoma is often surgically removed at the same time as a biopsy is taken for testing.  In some cases, the treatments for melanoma include chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, or radiation therapy (rarely used for melanoma). People with melanoma may also have biological therapy (drugs that work with the immune system).

Preventing melanoma

  • Avoiding sunburn;
  • Wearing clothes that protect against the summer sun.
  • Using sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, but preferably SPF 20-30, with 4 or 5 star UVA protection.
  • Not spending longer in the sun because sunscreen is used.
  • Liberally applying sunscreen about half an hour before going out, and applying it again after half an hour.
  • Keep newborns out of the sun.
  • Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
  • See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.

Finally, protect and check your skin!

Written by Dr. Tatiana Carneiro-Lobo, Ph.D.