Melanom a

: The S i l e n t
Skin
Cancer
 Melanoma

M e l a n o m a is a t y p e o f s k i n cancer
originating from p i g m ent produci ng cells
c a l l e d m e l a n o c y t e s . W h e n these cells are
d a m a g e d by rad i at i o n they can t rans form
an d b eh ave ab n o rm al l y. I f t h ere is
ep ne or m
u gahn e n t DNA d am age, th en t h ese
pigment cells can multiply and grow
without regulation and b e c o m e a cancer.
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , t h i s c a n c e r is n o t o r i o u s f o r
c a m o u f l a g i n g a m o n g s t other skin lesions,
and due to it’ s lack of sym p t o m s
m elan om a can grow a
silence. and m et a st a si z ein
 W h o is at r
isk ?
M el an o m a o c c u rs 1 in 40 p eo p l e in l ig h t er sk in t yp es an d l ess freq u en t l y
i n d a r k e r sk i n t y p e s i n a l l a g e g r o u p s. Th e r e a r e t w o m a jo r c o m p o n e n t s o f
m el an o m a d evel o p m en t : G en et ic an d E n viro n m en t al Fac t o rs. Sin c e
p l a ys a m a jo r ro l e , k n o w i n g i f yo u h a ve a fa m i l y h i st o ry o f
hereditary is ext rem ely im p o rt an t . A d d it io n ally, en viro n m en t al can
alter the n o rm al b io l o g y. Fo r exam p l e, exp o sin g sk in
rma ed li aa nt ioom
n af r o m t h e b e d s , a n d t ov asrui onu,tsa no nc icnugp a t i o n s s u c h a s
we ex p
l doisnugr ,e sr a d i o l o g y , o u t d o o r w o r k c a n l e a d t o D N A d a m a g e r e s u l t i n g i n
m e l a n o m a or o t h e r s k i n c a n c e r s .
A r e all s k i n c a n c e r s m e l a n o m a ?

NO. There are s eve r a l s k i n c a n c e r s of t h e skin, a n d

melanoma is just one of the many types.
M e l a n o m a is t h e t h i r d m o s t c o m m o n s k i n c a n c e r ,
p r e c e d e d by basal cell c a r c i n o m a an d s q u a m o u s
cell c a r c i n o m a . I t is i m p o r t a n t t o d i s t i n g u i s h
b
t heet swee e nc a n c e r s because melanomas are more
aggressive and have an increased r isk of

metastasis- s p r e a d i n g to other organs.

H o w to d e t e c t m e l a n o m a ?
S i n c e m e l a n o m a are d i s c r e t e , t h e y are very d i f f i c u l t t o d e t e c t b y t h e u n t r a i n e d eye.
A d d i t i o n a l l y , i t v e r y d i f f i c u l t t o s e l f i n s p e c t o n e ’ s b a c k , w h i c h is o n e o f t h e m o s t
c o m m o n sites for m e l a n o m a to occur.

A g u i d e l i n e t o h e l p is t h e A B C D E ‘ s o f m e l a n o m a . M o l e s w i t h t h e f o l l o w i n g n e e d t o
be professionally evaluated:

Asymmetry
B o rd ers irreg u lar
Color uneven
D iam et er g reat er t h an 4
m m Evolution
( changing) moles
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