What is malignant melanoma is a post from: Skin Cancer Information

There are three forms of cancer of the skin or skin cancer and the most dangerous of all is a cancer in the melancytes. Skin cancer in the melancytes manifests itself as a tumor in those cells that produce melanin which is a substance which helps to colour your skin.

When it comes to the skin cancer malignant melanoma, it means that the cells which decide what color your skin, eyes and hair is, and how easily you tan, develop abnormal characteristics and a colored mole for instance may begin to change shape or color.

It is also possible for malignant melanoma to affect the choroids of the eye, which is the layer just behind the retina. It does not hurt, but it can cause blurred vision and other problems with your vision as it can cause a detached retina. Malignant melanoma is the most common form of eye tumor.

You should know that less than one of three instances of the skin cancer malignant melanoma appears in existing moles. And surprisingly (because they look so awful), hairy moles hardly ever turn into malignant melanomas.

It is very important to get moles that are changing shape etc checked out by your medical doctor as soon as possible because as the cancer tumor from the malignant melanoma starts to get deeper into the skin the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body increases dramatically. (This is known as spread).

The key to successful treatment of a cancer like malignant melanoma is early detection of the cancer symptoms, so consider checking your skin regularly and at least once every 3 months and maybe more frequently during the summer months.

Let us also have quick look at the most common symptoms of malignant melanoma. If a mole appears to change shape, develop irregular outline, change in size, getting bigger and sticking out more, changing in color, irregular coloring as different shades of brown, grey, red or blue, a mole that develops a halo or another mole around the original one, itching, painful or bleeding moles, moles that get softer or begin to crumble, then you need to see a medical doctor about it straight away.

Malignant melanomas are most common in areas that receive the most exposure to the sun but it can show up in any location on your body. For people with fair skin the risk areas are the upper part of the back, and for women there is an added risk are on the legs between the knee and the ankle.

Darker skinned people get malignant melanomas very rarely but when they do appear they usually appear on the soles of the feet or on the palms. It is also possible to get malignant melanomas behind the nails of the fingers and the toes.

The key to avoiding malignant melanoma in the first place is to use sun protection and avoid direct sunlight in the middle of the day if at all possible. Another important thing you can do to protect yourself or your young children is to wear clothes that cover up the parts of the body that are at risk. Getting a malignant melanoma is no fun, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Skin cancer is one of the most commonly occurring diseases in America, and few realize how to know when there is a problem with their skin that they need to address with a doctor. In this article, we’ll discuss the prevalence of moles when it comes to detecting melanoma.

To understand more about moles when it comes to melanoma, it helps to know exactly what a mole is. Moles are actually benign growths of melanocytes, which are ‘color’ cells that are present in the skin. Most moles occur within the first year of life, and the number of moles a person has often peaks when they are between 20 and 30. In youths who face increased amounts of sun exposure, more moles are known to be present. The more a child is sunburned, the greater occurrence of moles they tend to have. As a matter of fact, one of the best indicators of a persons chance for developing malignant melanoma is counting the number of moles present on their body. To get a basic idea of the number of moles on a person’s body, counting the number of moles on the arm is commonly used as an indicator. Moles may grow throughout a persons lifespan, usually before age twenty, and while important to note, the mere growth of a mole does not mean that a person will develop melanoma.

Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. There are three; squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the only type of skin cancer that represents a threat to other parts of the body due to its capability of spreading outside of the area of the tumor. For that reason, malignant melanoma is the most likely type of skin cancer to result in death. When skin cancer is detected early, even melanoma diagnoses are often fully treatable. While moles do not need to be present for malignant melanoma to occur, it is important to keep a watchful eye on the moles on your body to ensure that cancer isn’t present.

When checking the moles of your body for the possibility of skin cancer, there are many factors to consider. First, you should note any asymmetry that occurs in your moles. If any of the following symptoms are noted with your moles, it’s important to talk to a doctor to ensure that any problems that show up can be taken care of before they grow to be a more serious issue. Moles tend to grow uniformly and evenly, and when one area of the mole begins to grow faster than the others, a problem may be present. It’s also important to note the appearance of the border of the mole; they should be uniform and defined. If the borders of one of your moles begins to become poorly defined, hazy, or abnormal, it’s important to get it checked out. If one of your moles begins to change in color, with red, gray, or white pigments present, you should consult your physician. Finally, if your mole grows in size to be bigger than one centimeter or starts a sudden growth spurt after age 20, you should speak to a doctor. It’s important to keep an eye on your own body; 50 percent of all skin cancer cases are found via a self examination.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all the types of skin cancer. Seventy five percent of all skin cancer sufferers have basal cell carcinoma. At one time this was a disease mainly of older men. Especially those who had been in careers that meant they worked out of doors like construction workers. Although studies are showing changes in this trend in recent years, with more woman developing basal cell carcinoma, and the age of discovery of this disease lowering somewhat, more old men are still affected. Sometimes it develops in odd places that are not believed to be sun related. These places may include vaccination sites or burn sites, scarred areas, and tattoos.

The main cause of this disease is believed to be over exposure to the sun’s ultra violet rays. It is usually found on the face, scalp, and upper torso. Those most at risk for this skin cancer are people with fair skin, who have blond or red hair and blue, grey or green eyes. As well, people whose jobs require them to be out side and so exposed to the suns ultra violets rays for long periods of time like construction workers, exterior house painters, oilrig workers or linesmen. Or people who insist, despite the constant warnings, on sunbathing without protection. Too many still feel it couldn’t happen to them so why not work on their tan.

What is it that a person could find that should send them to their health care provider? If you notice a sore that remains open, or reopens and does not heal after three to four weeks, go see your health care provider. If you become aware of a reddish area that looks wrong, maybe even appears crusty and alternates between itchy and painful. Get it checked out. These spots are usually found on the chest, limbs or shoulders. The third type appears like a shiny protuberance and is almost transparent in appearance. It can be almost any color, tan, brown pink red or brown. This type is more common in dark haired people and looks so much like a mole that it s often mistaken for one. The next type to watch for is pink in color with a raised edge and is lower in the center of it. All of these should send you to your dermatologist or other health care provider. But this last one is the biggest problem. It often looks like nothing more than a scar. It is white or yellow in color. The skin appears shiny and stretched tightly. This one is often a sign of a tumor that is going to be trouble. If you notice one like his immediately see a physician.

If your health care provider suspects that one of these is cancerous they will take a biopsy to confirm this suspicion. If they are right and their patient has basal cell carcinoma then they will immediately schedule surgery to remove the growth and discuss a treatment plan with you.