Melanoma

Content type

User Generated

Uploaded By

NABBCFZ

Pages

Rating

Melanoma

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells (melanocytes) that

produce melanin (It is a pigment that gives your skin its color). Melanoma can also form in

your eyes and, rarely, inside your body, such as in your nose or throat. It is not the most

common, but it is the most serious, as it often spreads. When this happens, it can be difficult to

treat, and the outlook may be poor. Risk factors for melanoma include overexposure to the sun,

having fair skin, and a family history of melanoma, among others. Most pigment cells develop

in the skin. Melanomas can develop anywhere on the skin, but certain areas are more at risk

than others. In men, it is most likely to affect the chest and back. In women, the legs are the

most common site. Other common sites of melanoma include the face. Melanoma is relatively

rare in people with darker skin.

Symptoms

In its early stages, melanoma can be difficult to detect. It is important to check the skin for any

signs of change. Alterations in the appearance of the skin are vital indicators of melanoma.

Doctors use them in the diagnostic process. The Melanoma Research Foundation offer pictures

of melanomas and normal moles to help a person learn how to tell the difference. They also list

some symptoms that should prompt a person to visit the doctor, including:

● any skin changes, such as a new spot or mole or a change in the color, shape, or size of an

existing spot or mole

● a skin sore that fails to heal

● a spot or sore that becomes painful, itchy, or tender

● a spot or sore that starts to bleed

● a spot or lump that looks shiny, waxy, smooth, or pale

● a firm, red lump that bleeds or looks ulcerated or crusty

●a flat, red spot that is rough, dry, or scaly

Stages

The stage of a cancer at diagnosis will indicate how far it has already spread and what kind of

treatment will be suitable

Stage 0: The cancer is only present in the outermost layer of skin. Doctors refer to this stage

as “melanoma in situ.”

Stage 1: The cancer is up to 2 millimeters (mm) thick. It has not yet spread to lymph nodes or

other sites, and it may or may not be ulcerated.

Stage 2: The cancer is at least 1 mm thick but may be thicker than 4 mm. It may or may not

be ulcerated, and it has not yet spread to lymph nodes or other sites.

Stage 3: The cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes or nearby lymphatic channels but

not distant sites. The original cancer may no longer be visible. If it is visible, it may be thicker

than 4 mm and also ulcerated.

Stage 4: The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or organs, such as the brain, lungs, or

liver.

Types

There are four types of melanomas

1.Superficial spreading melanoma

Superficial spreading melanoma is the most common type of melanoma, a potentially serious

skin cancer that arises from pigment cells (melanocytes). It is a form of melanoma in which

the malignant cells tend to stay within the tissue of origin, the epidermis, in an ‘in-situ’ phase

for a prolonged period (months to decades). At first, superficial spreading melanoma grows

horizontally on the skin surface – this is known as the radial growth phase. The lesion presents

as a slowly-enlarging flat area of discolored skin. An unknown proportion of superficial

spreading melanoma become invasive, that is, the melanoma cells cross the basement

membrane of the epidermis and malignant cells enter the dermis. A rapidly-growing nodular

melanoma can arise within superficial spreading melanoma and start to proliferate more deeply

within the skin. Superficial spreading melanoma presents as a slowly growing or changing

flat patch of discolored skin. At first, it often resembles a mole or freckle / lentigo. It becomes

more distinctive in time, often growing over months to years or even decades before it is

recognized. Like other flat forms of melanoma, it can be recognized by the ABCDE rule:

Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, large Diameter and Evolving

2.Nodular melanoma

Nodular melanoma (NM), the second most common subtype of melanoma, accounts for 15%

to 30% of all melanomas and approximately 40% to 50% of melanomas thicker than 2 mm.

Nodular melanoma has been shown to possess a more rapid growth rate, more biologically

aggressive behavior, and an increased number of mitoses compared with other melanoma

subtypes. Unlike the other melanoma subtypes, Nodular melanoma (NM) appears to lack an

initial radial growth phase and rather begins with vertical growth, a factor possibly attributable

to the nature of the tumor cells and/or various microenvironmental influences. Recent studies

with reflectance-mode confocal microscopy suggest that Nodular melanoma does not

demonstrate the epidermal features of disarrangement and pagetoid infiltration seen in

superficial spreading melanomas. It has been proposed that dissimilarities in melanoma

subtypes may result because they originate from different stem cell types; that is, Nodular

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Melanoma . Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin (It is a pigment that gives your skin its color). Melanoma can also form in your eyes and, rarely, inside your body, such as in your nose or throat. It is not the most common, but it is the most serious, as it often spreads. When this happens, it can be difficult to treat, and the outlook may be poor. Risk factors for melanoma include overexposure to the sun, having fair skin, and a family history of melanoma, among others. Most pigment cells develop in the skin. Melanomas can develop anywhere on the skin, but certain areas are more at risk than others. In men, it is most likely to affect the chest and back. In women, the legs are the most common site. Other common sites of melanoma include the face. Melanoma is relatively rare in people with darker skin. Symptoms In its ea ...
Purchase document to see full attachment