What is Melanoma?
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 309, Word Count: 534,
Melanoma is categorized as the most perilous type of skin cancer. Melanoma involves the cells which produce the skin pigment melanin. Melanin is responsible for both hair and skin color. Melanin is also helpful in protecting the skin from UV rays.
Melanoma is considered to be most dangerous skin cancer, since malignant melanoma can spread throughout the other parts of the body. This type of skin cancer can bring about changes in ones skin. Melanoma is much more common in white skinned people than dark skinned people. It can occur in adults of any age, but is uncommon in children.
Types of melanoma-
Nodular melanoma: Nodular melanoma occurs mostly on the chest or the back. It is mostly found in middle-aged individuals. If not treated or removed it has the tendency of growing deeper into the skin. Nodular melanoma is mostly raised above the surface of the skin and feels like a bump on the skin. The colour of this type of melanoma is dark brown-black or black.
External, spreading or flat melanoma: This type of melanoma grows outwards initially. It grows to form an irregular pattern on the skin. This melanoma has an uneven colour.
Lentigo maligna melanoma: This type of melanoma is mostly found in the elderly. It is often seen in sun-damaged skin either on the neck, face and arms. The area of the body which is affected with Lentigo maligna melanoma is flat, large with a tan. The colour of this type of melanoma is intermixed of brown.
Acral melanoma: Acral melanoma is mostly found on the palms of the hand, around the toenails or the soles of the feet.
Causes of melanoma-
Excessive sun exposure is known to be the main cause of melanoma. Severe blistering sunburns during the early stages in ones life has shown to promote melanoma development. Melanoma can also be the result of ultraviolet radiation which is used in indoor tanning equipment. There are some cases of melanoma which show that this type of skin cancer can be inherited.
Symptoms of melanoma-
Melanoma is first seen as a change in the size, shape, color or feel of the mole on the skin.
The color of the mole becomes different shades of brown, black and the tan in the same mole. Patches of red, pink, white, grey and blue are also seen sometimes in the same mole.
Melanoma can also be seen as an odd shaped mole where one half is different than the other.
Treatment for melanoma-
Melanoma can be treated through surgical removal of the melanoma along with some normal skin around the growth. Normal skin around the melanoma is removed to be sure that no melanoma is left and the process of taking out the normal looking skin is called taking margins.
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are also methods which are used for the treatment of melanoma.
It should be noted that melanoma can easily spread. When melanoma is in the early stages it can be easily treated since it is thin in nature. If melanoma is left untreated it can grow deeper into the skin and cause further complications.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
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