Medical Centric

MELANOMA

Cancer, Skin Conditions / By

MELANOMA

Melanoma is a type of cancer that develops in the melanocytes, the pigment cells present in the skin that produces melanin.

  • It is regarded as more serious than other types of skin cancer because of its tendency to spread to other parts of the body causing serious illness that includes death.
  • Most melanoma develops on the skin. They may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines or the eye.
  • They most commonly develop on the legs in women and in men they are mostly found on the back.
  • About 50,000 cases are diagnosed and about 10,130 death occurs annually in the United States.
  • Melanomas are majorly black or brown but can be pink, red, purple or white.
  • The incidence of melanoma seems to be on the increase for women above 40.
  • In 2015, there were 59,800 deaths from melanoma globally.
  • Melanoma has become so common in areas populated by white people.

CAUSES

  • Melanoma is mostly as a result of severe, frequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunshine especially in those with low levels of skin pigment.
  • The sun or tanning devices may be the source of ultraviolet radiation.
  • This exposure causes a DNA damage to skin cells. The skin cells double rapidly and form a malignant
  • The World Health Organization estimates that about 60,000 death occurred as a result of intense exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
  • Those people with many moles (more than 100) have a greater risk of developing melanoma. This is the reason why it is important to know your skin very well to be able to detect changes in the moles on your body.
  • A family history of melanoma can also make you be at a greater risk of developing it.
  • A history of another type of skin cancer such as a basal cell can as well raise the risk of melanoma.
  • A weakened immune system may make it easier for melanoma to develop due to the inability of the body to fight cancer cells

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Common symptoms may include:

  • Changes to the shape or color of existing moles
  • The appearance of a new lump on the skin
  • A spot that becomes painful, itchy, or bleeds
  • A spot or sore that is red, rough, flat and dry
  • A lump that bleeds
  • A skin sore that refuses to heal
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Visual inspection is the most diagnostic process. To detect melanomas, it is essential to learn and know the different variations in the shape, color, size.  Physicians examine moles using the ABCDE examination method.

ABCDE examination of mole

  • Asymmetric– Normal moles are round or symmetrical. A cancerous mole has one side looking different from the other side.
  • Border of a mole that is irregular, ragged and not smooth
  • Coloring of different shades of brown, black and even white and blue pigments
  • Diameter that changes. The size of the mole may be bigger than normal
  • A mole that changes in appearance over a period of weeks may indicate skin cancer

A skin biopsy may also be performed. In this procedure, a small or large tissue is removed from the body to be sent to a laboratory for analysis. The biopsy shows the presence of a cancerous mole or the absence of none.

A procedure referred to as dermoscopy may be used to evaluate the pigment and blood vessels of the mole. Findings may suggest possible melanoma or give an assurance that the spot is not to be worried about.

TREATMENT

Surgery is the most common treatment of skin cancer. The lesion (an infected organ) and tissues around it are removed in the surgical procedure.

If a large part of the body is affected, a skin graft may be recommended. A skin graft is an operation where a portion of tissue is implanted in a lesion to form an organic union.

Other common treatment includes chemotherapy and using drugs that work with the immune system.