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Melanoma is a type of skin cancer which mostly occurs due to excessive sun exposure. In this case, the melanocyte cells or the pigment-producing cells present in the skin undergo mutation and becomes cancerous. In some individuals, melanoma occurs in the eye and then it is known as ocular melanoma. Melanoma can develop at any part of the body of anyone. However, in men, the chest and the back regions are more prone to it. In the case of women, the legs, neck, and face are the usual sites for melanoma occurrence.
There are four principal types of melanoma - Superficial, Nodular, Lentigo Maligna, and Acral Lentiginous melanoma.
Superficial Spreading Melanoma:
This type of melanoma usually develops on the legs of the patient. In the beginning, it remains localised to a place, and after a few months, it spreads across the skin surface. It is the most common type of melanoma.
Nodular Melanoma:
This type of melanoma appears on the head, neck or trunk of the individual. It is generally red and grows at a much faster rate than other melanomas.
Lentigo Maligna Melanoma:
This type mostly starts as a Hutchinson's freckle and later on may transform into lentigo malignant melanoma. It looks like a stain on the skin and grows slower than the other types.
Acral Lentiginous Melanoma:
It generally appears on the hands, under the nails or on the feet and is common in the dark-skinned people. It is a rare type of melanoma, and any association between sun exposures and this type of melanoma is not yet proven.
Melanoma mostly occurs due to mutation of the melanocyte cells where they multiply abnormally and produce a skin sore. This type of skin cancer has five stages:
Stage 0: In this stage, the malignant cells are present only on the outermost layer of skin.
Stage 1: Here the lesion is 2 millimetres thick, and the cancerous cells have not spread to the nearby lymph nodes.
Stage 2: Here the tumour is 1.1 millimetres to 4 millimetres thick, and the cancerous cells may or may not be ulcerated. However, the malignancy has not spread to the lymph nodes at this stage.
Stage 3: In this case, the malignancy has spread to one or more nearby lymph nodes and the lymphatic channels.
Stage 4: Here the malignancy has extended to many distant organs in the body.
The risk of acquiring melanoma increases manifold if:
The symptoms of melanoma include:
If you have any mole or spot on the skin which stands out from other, you should immediately consult a dermatologist. He would physically examine the mole and ask for your family history. The doctor may also prescribe imaging test like CT scan, PET-CT Scan, or MRI of the mole to get a better idea of its composition. If he finds anything suspicious in the diagnostic report, then he would further ask you to go for a biopsy of the mole. It would confirm or rule out the presence of melanoma in your skin.
If melanoma is diagnosed in the later stage, the patient may show several complications. Few of them include:
The treatment of melanoma depends on which stage it is diagnosed at. If the diagnosis occurs in the early stage, then the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the malignancy from the patient’s system. However, if the diagnosis happens in the later stage, then chemotherapy or the use of drugs to kill the cancerous cells is a better option.
Women above 40 years are more prone to melanoma.
Use of sun-skin lotion above SPF 30 may provide protection against the harmful UVA rays which causes melanoma.
Regular self-examination of scars and mole helps in the early diagnosis of melanoma and effective treatment procedures.
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