A Primer on Melanomas

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer though less prevalent than the other skin cancer types, however is more grave as it could not just inflict the exterior skin surface but could even reach the internal structures like organ or bone. Providentially, there is treatment for melanoma in case it has been diagnosed and treated early on.

Causes of Melanoma

Melanoma could develop due to excessive exposure to the sun that leads to healthy skin tissue turning anomalous. Such irregular cells then have uninhibited growth, assaulting the adjoining normal tissues.

Melanoma has a tendency of running in kin lines and there are several aspects of one’s kin settings that could raise likelihood of developing the condition. For instance, one could have moles that are unusual or uncharacteristic (atypical) that could become paler or somewhat scaly, or could appear coarse and gravelly. Such moles by themselves are non-cancerous, however, the presence of several of such moles is an indicator that melanoma could be familial.

Melanoma Symptoms

• The key symptom of melanoma is a variation in the appearance of a mole or other kind of skin growths like birthmarks. Any variation in the extent, outline or hue of moles could be indicative of melanoma.
• Melanomas could originate in already present moles or birthmarks. However, melanomas generally develop in skin that has no marks and could be observed in any part of the body. The common sites are the upper portion of the back in case of males and on the leg areas in case of females.
• Melanomas appear flattish, brownish or blackish moles with jagged borders and generally have an uneven outline wherein there is disparity in the left and right halves of the mole. Melanoma mole or mark could be bigger than six millimetres in diameter.
• Dissimilar to normal moles or marks, melanomas could vary in their colour, could be lump-like, round, turn crust-like in appearance, and start oozing or bleeding.

Diagnosis & Tests

The doctor would analyse the skin looking for melanoma signs and in case doubted then a tissue sample would be extracted from the region encircling the melanoma via a biopsy procedure. A pathologist would then microscopically examine the tissue sample for presence of cancerous cells. In case the biopsy outcome reveals melanoma, then further tests would be needed to ascertain whether it has metastasized to the lymph nodes.

Melanoma Treatment

The widely employed treatment is surgical intervention for removal of melanoma that has been diagnosed in its preliminary staging and has not metastasized.

Dependent on the location and the thickness of the melanoma spotted on the body, the surgery used for removal of the melanoma could lead to scar formations that would require further surgery for repairing it.

Subsequent to surgery, a follow-up would be done in a time interval of three to six months for the following five years. The follow-up visits are done for checking any relapse of cancer and in case one is having any newly developed melanoma.

Melanoma Prevention

The ideal means of safeguarding from all forms of skin cancers inclusive of melanoma is shielding oneself from the sun’s rays.

• Keeping away from the sun in the time from ten in the morning to four in the evenings.
• Wearing shielding clothing while outdoors like some form of head gear that covers the face, full-sleeved shirts, UV-protective sunglasses and trousers.
• Habitually applying sunscreen with no less than SPF 15 for protection from UVA and UVB sun rays.
• Using sunscreens of higher sun protection factor while in high altitudes.
• One must avoid the lure to sunbath or getting tanned at the salons.
• Watching out for any unusual changes in any mark, mole or sore that is not showing healing, paying particular notice to regions that are getting the maximum sun exposure like upper extremities, back.