Signs and Symptoms of Melanoma Skin Cancer - Melanoma Skin Cancer is started in
the cells that produce pigments. These cells are called Melanocytes. The Melanin
that is the cause of skin, eyes and hair colour is the result of these cells.
According to the NCI (National Institute of Cancer), there are over 68,000 new
cases and near 9,000 deaths of Melanoma Skin Cancer each year in US.
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Signs and Symptoms of Melanoma Skin Cancer |
The first sign of melanoma is
normally a change in shape or colour and maybe size of a currently existed
mole. You should see your doctor if you see a sudden or continuous change in
the shape and size or colour of a mole. Sometimes melanoma appears on your skin
as a new mole.
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It's very easy to memorize what you
look for. There are five parameters involved that we can refer to as
"ABCDE" that are:
1. Asymmetry: when the shape of one
half of the mole is not the same as the shape of the other half.
2. Border: when the pigment is spread
into the nearby skin so the borders and edges are normally blurred and ragged.
3. Colour: it is normally uneven.
Normally there are brown or black shades or some areas are white, gray and red
or sometimes pink.
4. Diameter: the size can be very
different but normally the melanomas are larger than 6 millimetres or ¼ inch.
5. Evolving: when the mole has
changed during the past few weeks or months.
But have in mind that not all the
melanomas show all of the above mentioned features. Sometimes the changes are only
in one or two of the ABCDE.
There are some other warning signs and symptoms:
a. When you see a new bump
b. When colour is spread into the
nearby skin areas
c. When you see a redness or swelling
that is beyond the mole itself
d. When you feel pain
e. When you feel itching
f. When the mole bleeds
g. Sometimes oozing
h. Tenderness can be a sign as well
i. And scaly appearance
When the melanoma is more advanced,
the texture of the mole may change. The skin becomes harder and the surface of
the skin sometimes breaks down and scraped. Sometimes even bleeding has been
reported and it may get itchy or painful.
Your doctor is definitely a person
who can help you. Make sure if there is anything that bothers you, go and see
your doctor.
What causes Melanoma Skin Cancer
The most dangerous cause of Melanoma
Skin Cancer is the exposure to sunlight ultra violet rays. Melanocytes make more
melanin under the sun light. That's why our skin is tanned under the sun.
Scientist believe that enough exposure to UV radiation can hurt the DNA in
melanocytes and causes them to grow more than normal and out of control.
It's good to know that Melanoma Skin
Cancer happens more often in fair skin people than brown and black skin people.
Fair or white skin people have less melanocyte cells in their skin hence more
dangerous the UV ray is for them.
Doctors believe that Melanoma Skin
Cancer is related not only to exposure to sun, but genetics plays a big role in
this cancer. Because Melanoma Tumors can occur in the areas of the body that
are not normally exposed to the sun. So people with family history of melanoma
are more likely to develop the cancer. According to researches done by NCI
(National Cancer Institute) One out of ten people diagnosed with melanoma have
a family member who was previously diagnosed with the disease.
How to treat Melanoma Skin Cancer
Like most of the diseases and
cancers, there is a good chance of good prognosis when the cancer is caught
early. If the brown or black lesion has not spread beyond the skin surface, a
simple surgery may be enough to cure the cancer.
But in more advanced cancer, the one
that melanoma has spread to other parts of body, it is difficult to treat.
According to NCI the chances of 5-year survival rate are:
1. 98% localised melanoma. 84% of
melanoma cases are diagnosed at this stage
2. 62% if melanoma is spread under
the skin to nearby lymph nodes
3. 16% if it spreads to distant parts
of the body
In the last two cases doctors use
Chemotherapy, radiation or biological therapy to treat the cancer.
How to prevent Melanoma Skin Cancer
It is not very easy to treat this
cancer and it can take a lifelong, but it only takes some very simple precautions
to decrease the risk.
The first and maybe the most
important factor is avoiding tanning beds. Wearing sunscreens with SPF (Sun
Protection Factor) of above 15 is another simple step. Wearing hats, visors and
tightly woven clothing is very good to block the sunlight UV ray. And the last
one is staying out of the sun during 10 am and 4 pm when the sunlight is very
strong and UV level is at the highest.
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