Melanocytes are skin cells found in the upper layer of skin. They produce a pigment known as melanin, which gives skin its color. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. When skin is exposed to ultraviolet UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds, it causes skin damage that triggers the melanocytes to produce more melanin, but only the eumelanin pigment attempts to protect the skin by causing the skin to darken or tan.
Melanoma occurs when DNA damage from burning or tanning due to UV radiation triggers changes mutations in the melanocytes, resulting in uncontrolled cellular growth. Naturally darker-skinned people have more eumelanin and naturally fair-skinned people have more pheomelanin.
While eumelanin has the ability to protect the skin from sun damage, pheomelanin does not. Melanomas present in many different shapes, sizes and colors. Melanoma is usually curable when detected and treated early.
Once melanoma has spread deeper into the skin or other parts of the body, it becomes more difficult to treat and can be deadly. How and where it grows: It can arise in an existing mole or appear as a new lesion. When it begins in a mole that is already on the skin, it tends to grow on the surface of the skin for some time before penetrating more deeply.
While it can be found nearly anywhere on the body, it is most likely to appear on the torso in men, the legs in women and the upper back in both. What it looks like: It may appear as a flat or slightly raised and discolored, asymmetrical patch with uneven borders. It can also lack pigment and appear as a pink or skin-tone lesion amelanotic. What you should know: This form of melanoma often develops in older people.
When this cancer becomes invasive or spreads beyond the original site, the disease is known as lentigo maligna melanoma. How and where it grows: This form of melanoma is similar to the superficial spreading type, growing close to the skin surface at first. The tumor typically arises on sun-damaged skin on the face, ears, arms or upper torso. What it looks like: It may look like a flat or slightly raised, blotchy patch with uneven borders. Color is usually blue-black, but can vary from tan to brown or dark brown.
What you should know: This is the most common form of melanoma found in people of color, including individuals of African ancestry.
There are other types of chemotherapy, including tablets, which may be suitable for you. Your oncologist cancer specialist will discuss these options with you. With melanomas, chemotherapy is used as palliative treatment to try to control the growth of the cancer and relieve symptoms. Chemotherapy usually does not cure melanomas.
Biological therapies are treatments using substances made naturally by the body. Some of these treatments are called immunotherapy because they help the immune system fight the cancer, or they occur naturally as part of the immune system. There are many biological therapies being researched and trialled, which in the future may help treat people with melanoma.
They include monoclonal antibodies and vaccine therapy. Radiotherapy treats melanomas by using radiation to destroy or injure cancer cells. The radiation can be targeted onto cancer sites in your body. Treatment is carefully planned to do as little harm as possible to your normal body tissue.
You will probably have radiotherapy once a day from Monday to Friday over several weeks, with a break on the weekends. The number of visits you need to make will depend on the size and type of the melanoma and on your general health.
The treatment itself only takes a few minutes and is not painful. Radiotherapy treatment for melanoma does not make you radioactive, so it's quite safe to be close to your partner, children and others during the course of treatment.
It's common for people with cancer to seek out complementary or alternative treatments. When used alongside your conventional cancer treatment, some of these therapies can make you feel better and improve your quality of life. Others may not be so helpful and in some cases may be harmful.
It is important to tell all your healthcare professionals about any complementary medicines you are taking. Never stop taking your conventional treatment without consulting your doctor first. All treatments can have side effects. These days, new treatments are available that can help to make many side effects much less severe than they were in the past. Ninety per cent of Victorians are alive 5 years after a diagnosis of melanoma.
The prognosis is better for women than for men. Your medical history is unique, so you will need to discuss with your doctor what you can expect and the treatment options that are best for you. If your cancer has spread and it is not possible to cure it by surgery, your doctor may still recommend treatment. In this case, treatment may help to relieve symptoms, might make you feel better and may allow you to live longer.
Whether or not you choose to have anti-cancer treatment, symptoms can still be controlled. For example, if you have pain, there are effective treatments for this. General practitioners, specialists and palliative care teams in hospitals all play important roles in helping people with cancer.
Most people treated for early melanoma do not have further trouble with the disease. However, when there is a chance that the melanoma may have spread to other parts of your body, you will need regular check-ups.
Your doctor will decide how often you will need check-ups — everyone is different. They will become less frequent if you have no further problems. After treatment for melanoma it is important to limit exposure to the sun's UV radiation. A combination of sun protection measures clothing, hat, shade, sunscreen and sunglasses should be used during sun protection times whenever UV index levels are forecast to be 3 or above.
As biological family members usually share similar traits, your family members may also have an increased risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. They can reduce their risk by spending less time in the sun and using a combination of sun protection measures during sun protection times. It is important to monitor your skin regularly and if you notice any changes in your skin, or enlarged lymph glands near to where you had the cancer, see your specialist as soon as possible.
Caring for someone with cancer can be a difficult and emotional time. If you or someone you know is caring for someone with skin cancer you may find it helpful to download and read some of the Cancer Council Victoria booklets.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Bedbugs have highly developed mouth parts that can pierce skin. Before a biopsy, you need to discuss a range of issues with your doctor or surgeon.
Three of them start relatively in situ, although this can definitely change over time. One type, however, can be invasive right from the start and may spread to other parts of the body quickly. More on types. Melanoma is the most dangerous skin cancer and can do some serious harm, however when the right prevention methods are used it can be caught early.
There are many ways to prevent it from forming, some more obvious than others. More on prevention. Vera Heydendael. Senior Dermatologist. Pictures of Melanoma. Mole example with a suspicious asymmetry and color. Dark skin mole with a suspicious asymmetry and color. Other pictures. For other mole pictures, check our galleries. Melanoma pictures. Frequently asked questions about melanoma. Other types like amelanotic and desmoplastic melanomas are rare. What are the first sign of melanoma? How to diagnose melanoma?
To help you keep an eye on your dangerous moles you can use the ABCDE rule to recognize the warning signs on it: A symmetry , B order irregularity, multiple C olours, D iameter greater than 6 mm and E volution. If you notice these warning signs or if your skin spot is changing,visit a healthcare professional promptly. During medical examination your doctor will ask about symptoms, risk factors such as family history of skin cancer or sunburn and examine your skin to look for signs that may indicate melanoma.
Any suspicious area will be removed and sent for laboratory analysis this is called skin biopsy. Biopsy is the only sure way for the doctor to know if it is skin cancer. How does melanoma spread? How SkinVision can help you! Learn the health of your skin. Start with SkinVision Now. Check your skin for skin cancer today. Try SkinVision. If you cannot find an answer there, please contact us.
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