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When people think about skin cancer they most often have in mind the form known as "Melanoma" It is a very serious form of skin cancer. It begins to grow in micro sized "melanocytes." These are the cells that make the skins pigmentation called Melanin. The majority of Melanoma are black or brown. However, melanomas occasionally stop producing pigment. When that happens, the melanomas may no longer be dark, but are skin-colored, pink, red, or purple.This type of skin cancer is responsible for most of the cancer related deaths, although, melanoma accounts for only about 4% of all skin cancer cases.
If diagnosed and removed while it is still thin, and, if the melanoma was limited to the outermost skin layer, it is almost 100% curable. However, if you ignore it and go about your day without consulting a physician, it can spread to other parts of the body where it is hard to treat and can be DEADLY.
Since 1995 the number of cases of melanoma has increased more rapidly than that of any other cancer. Over 51,000 new cases are reported to the American Cancer Society every year, and it is probable that those reported are only a fraction of the actual number. In Australiasia, skin cancer and melanoma are one of the leading causes of death among fair skined Aussies.
Types of Melanoma Skin Cancer
- Superficial Spreading Melanoma: is quite common. They account for about 70% of all the reported cases. What usually occurs is the melanoma travels along the upper parts of the skin for some time before penetrating more deeply.
The first sign of this type of melanoma is the appearance of a flat or slightly raised, or discolored patch. It should have irregular borders and be somewhat geometrical in shape. The color may vary, so you may see areas of that are tan, brown, black, red, blue, or even white. Most melanomas found in the young are of the superficial spreading type.
Sometimes an older mole will change in these ways, or a new one will arise. A melanoma can be seen almost anywhere on the body, but is most likely to occur on the trunk in men, the legs in women, and the upper back in both.
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Lentigo Maligna: Is actually quite similar to the superficial spreading type; it too remains close to the skin surface for quite a while, and usually appears as a flat or mildly elevated mottled tan, brown, or dark brown discoloration except this form is very invasive.
This type of melanoma is found most often in the elderly, who have been over exposed to the sun, and have damage to their faces, ears, arms, and upper trunk. This cancer is also the most diagnosed form of skin cancer in Hawaii and the Phillippines.
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Acral Lentiginous Melanoma is the third type of melanoma, occuring mostly in dark skinned or of Africian or Asian decent. Itspreads superficially before penetrating more deeply. It is quite different from the others, though, as it usually appears as a black or brown discoloration under the nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands.
- The worst is:
Nodular Melanoma, it is usually invasive at the time it is first diagnosed. The malignancy is usually recognized when it becomes a bump. The Skin Cancer Institute says the "color is most often black, but occasionally is blue, gray, white, brown, tan, red, or skin tone.
The most frequent locations are the trunk, legs, and arms, mainly of elderly people, as well as the scalp in men. This is the most aggressive of the melanomas, and is found in 10 to 15 percent of cases."
"Malignant melanomas are usually small brown-black or larger multicolored patches, plaques or nodules with irregular outline. They may crust on the surface or bleed. Many of them may arise in pre-existing moles."
Skin Cancer * Mole Pictures
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