INTRODUCTION: Melanoma is a malignancy in which cancererous cells form in the skin cells called melanocytes (cells that color the skin). It may also happen in the eye and is called intraocular or ocular melanoma; however it can occur any place on the body. It is the most dangerous of the common types of skin cancer and frequently appears as an enlarging coloured skin spot, usually occuring in adults, but it is occasionly found in children and adolescents. The disease is more aggressive than basal cell skin cancer or squamous cell skin cancer.
CAUSE: Melanoma is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and external factors such as ultraviolet exposure. Heavy exposure to the sun is the most important factor in development of the disease. UV radiation causes damage to the DNA of cells, typically thymine dimerization, which when unrepaired can create mutations in the cell’s genes. Genetic analysis has shown that 92% of all melanoma are caused by this indirect DNA damage. This however does NOT mean that sunburn is the cause of this cancer. It is one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths especially if it is found late. At this time, the causes are not fully understood.
TYPES: There are 4 kinds of melanoma–each with its own set of symptoms. (A)Superficial spreading melanoma: small lesions with irregular border and brown, red, white, blue or blue-black spots on trunk or limbs. (B)Nodular melanoma: shiny, firm, dome-shaped brown, black or pink bumps any place on skin. (C)Acral lentiginous melanoma: irregular brown to black flat lesions on palms, soles, tips of fingers or toes and mucous membranes; can also be a brown or black streak under a finger or toe nail. (D)Lentigo maligna melanoma: large brownish irregular spot with darker speckles on skin overexposed to sun, especially the face or arms.
SYMPTOMS: The key to treating this condition is recognizing symptoms early. Persons who spot any of the following signs should report them to their physician without delay: an existing mole or dark patch that is growing larger or is a newly growing mole with a ragged edge, a mole with a mixture of different shades of brown and black. Call your health care provider if you spot any signs of melanoma, particularly the following: If any existing skin growth changes in color, size, or texture, If an existing lesion develops pain, swelling, bleeding, or itching. Remember however that most melanomas have no symptoms when they are found.
TREATMENT: Successful treatment depends on many factors, including the patient’s overall health and whether the disease has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs. After diagnosis and staging (the determination of the extent of the disease), the MD develops a treatment plan to fit each patient’s needs and is usually aimed at shrinking the tumor and improving symptoms.
Treating advanced (stage III) melanoma may necessitate surgical removal of the tumors and any affected lymph nodes, followed by systemic or local chemotherapy with one or multiple agents. In some cases, a person may live many months or even years with metastatic melanoma (depending on the aggressiveness of the treatment). An experimental treatment developed at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health in the United States was used in advanced (metastatic) melanoma with moderate success.
PROGNOSIS: The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment choices depend on the following. The stage of melanoma: whether cancer is found in the outer layer of skin only, or has metastasized to the lymph nodes and/or to other places in the body. If the cancer has spread to other places in the body, the best treatment is to remove the cancerous tissue if possible.
The 5 year survival rate for treated Stage III patients is approximately 60 percent, and both the condition and the treatment frequently compromises quality of life. A licensed physician should be seen for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
CONCLUSION: Melanoma is a cancerous tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the bowel and the eye (uveal melanoma). It usually is seen as an irregular brown, black and/or red spot, or an existing mole that starts to change color, size or shape. The disease is more likely to be caused by intense exposure to sunlight in early life. They can be any place on your body and is uncommon in the Aboriginal, Asian and African races.
This condition, like other skin cancers, are only very rarely irritating to touch and often do not look bad at first. The most serious type of skin cancer, it is also the fastest growing cancer in the U.S. and accounts for almost three per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers each year. It ranks sixth in cancer incidence in males and seventh in females, and these incidences have doubled in the past decade.
Melanoma can affect persons in their 20’s and 30’s but the average age when diagnosed is between 55 to 57 and is the most common cause of death from skin cancer. Around 160,000 new cases are diagnosed worldwide annually, and it occurs more often in males and caucasians.
According to the WHO Report about 48 thousand melanoma related deaths occur worldwide annually. They are extremely dangerous and they kill thousands of Americans each yearly. Today, they are diagnosed only after they become visible on the skin. In the future, however, MDs will hopefully be able to detect them based on a patient’s genotype (The genetic constitution of a person), not just his or her phenotype (The total physical, biochemical, and physiologic makeup of an individual).
The most important way to prevent it is to limit your sun exposure while routine examination of the skin by both you and your physician increases the chance of finding this condition early should you develop it.
