Symptoms Of Malignant Melanoma

With more understanding of skin cancer, the extent to which it affects people becomes fully known. In fact, it is the most common form of cancer in the United States and Australia to date. It is also becoming increasingly prevalent in many other countries throughout the world.

Whilst you might think that this is cause for concern, most forms of skin cancer are easy to treat and don't pose a threat to life. Also the signs and symptoms of skin cancer are generally on the surface of the skin so are easy to spot. this means they can be treated early on, ensuring complete success.

However of the three types of skin cancer, malignant melanoma is potentially very serious and can be life threatening if not spotted early. This article will cover what is malignant melanoma , how it forms and how to prevent it.

Cancer is thought to be caused by a combination of a persons genetic makeup and their exposure to some environmental condition. In the case of malignant melanoma, the environmental condition is too much exposure to the Sun. Specifically, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun (UVA and UVB radiation). Or exposure to other things that radiate ultraviolet radiation onto and into the skin (Sun beds for instance).

Too much ultraviolet radiation can mutate the DNA of a cell, making it cancerous. The genes in the DNA that cause this become known as oncogenes. Cells that have undergone this transformation do not die but divide and proliferate. They grow at an unregulated rate. As they continue to multiply their growth can become invasive.

Invasive growth means the cancer invades the surrounding tissue or even organs within the body. It can prevent the organs from functioning and in some cases destroy them. In some cases the cancerous cells can spread to the blood stream or the lymphatic system making it easier for the cancer to spread throughout the body. When this happens it becomes very difficult to treat and prevent further spreading. This is known as metastasizing.

Whilst the primary cause of malignant melanoma is exposure to sunlight there are a number of genetic factors that are thought to increase the chances of developing the disease.

If you have a family history of the disease then your chances are increased. If you have fair skin,freckles, fair or red hair and pale colored eyes then you are more at risk. If you have plenty of moles on your skin you may also be at risk (although some people that are born with moles on the skin are not thought to be as susceptible)

Typically, a brown spot or mark on the surface of the skin could be the first sign of a melanoma. If you already have moles on your body then it may be hard to differentiate between an ordinary mole and a melanoma. however, if the spot or mark starts to change in color or grow larger and in an irregular shape then you should see your doctor.

It is impossible to completely avoid sunlight and the body needs sunlight to survive. Thus it would seem impossible to prevent melanoma. The only thing that is practical is to take measure to avoid being over exposed to the Sun. This means always wearing a hat and sunglasses. Wear clothing that covers most of your body. Put sunscreen on areas that are not covered by the clothing, like the face or arms.

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