What is a melanoma?
Melanomas are skin cancers that arise from moles. They are one of the most serious types of skin cancer as they have the potential to spread. Melanomas affect young adults more frequently than other cancers, and are the second most common cancer in those aged 15 to 34 years of age. Fortunately, the chance of cure is high if melanoma is diagnosed early.
What are the signs of melanoma?
Irregular looking moles that have one of the ABCD features listed below may be melanoma. Moles that have any of these features should be checked by your doctor or Dermatologist. The ABCD features are:
- Asymmetry – normal moles are usually symmetrical, in that if you split the mole in half, one half is a mirror image of the other. Melanomas are asymmetrical and one half is usually different from the other half.
- Border irregularlity – normal moles usually have a smooth rounded outline that is sharp and easy to see. Melanomas frequently have jaggedy edges that are not rounded, and sometimes the outline is not sharp and it becomes difficult to see where the mole ends.
- Colour irregularity – normal moles usually have one even colour. Melanomas usually have multiple shades of brown, and can have other colours too including black, red, and white.
- Development and change in size, shape or colour – this is arguably the most important feature, and the one that can help identify melanoma early. Melanomas grow and change over a period of months, where as normal moles do not change at this rate (and sometimes don’t change at all). Typically, melanomas first become darker and blotchy developing several shades of brown and black. They then grow outwards to become wider and finally they thicken and become raised. The may or may not bleed or itch at any stage. It is therefore important to get any moles that are changing checked.
What are the risk factors for melanoma?
Several medical studies have shown that the following groups of people are at a higher risk of developing melanoma:
- Light eyes, light skin or light hair
- Excessive sun exposure in the past especially during childhood and early adulthood
- Many freckles
- More than 50 moles
- Previous sun burns
- Previous sun bed use
- Family members who have had a melanoma
What can I do to reduce my chance of developing melanoma?
It is important to take sensible precautions about the sun, and to avoid burning at all costs and to keep tanning to a minimum. More advice on sun protection can be obtained here.
What should I do if I think I have a melanoma or if I want to get my moles checked?
If you have any moles that look irregular, or that are changing in size, shape or colour, or if you would like a head-to-toe check of all your moles by an expert, then arrange an appointment to see Dr Martin-Clavijo.
What is the treatment for melanoma?
The treatment is surgical excision of the melanoma and of a safety margin of normal skin around the melanoma . In some cases sentinel lymph node biopsy can be done at the time of diagnosis to see if the melanoma has spread to the lymph nodes. If melanoma has spread, then surgical excision of the metastasis is performed if possible. Alternatively, systemic treatments may be used for metastatic melanoma. These include targeted therapies (drugs that target a specific mutation in the cancer pathway) and immunotherapy (drugs designed to stimulate your immune system to help it fight the cancer).
What is the outlook for someone who has had melanoma?
The prognosis (outlook) after a melanoma is dependent on how early or late the melanoma was at diagnosis. Early melanomas are said to be thin, that is, they only affect the top layers of the skin. If the depth (known as the Breslow thickness) is less than 1mm, then 90-95% of melanomas cured. If the melanoma is 4mm or deeper, then the cure rate is 45-60%.
Links
British Association of Dermatologists – stage 1 melanoma, stage 2 melanoma,