Melanoma is the most prevalent kind of skin cancer and skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the Western world. It starts in skin cells known as melanocytes.
Melanocytes are found under the skin, which is made up of two strata: the epidermis on the outside and the dermis below that. To be accurate, melanocytes are found in the lowest levels of the epidermis, but not actually in the dermis.
These cells produce melanin, which has an effect on the epidermis? pigmentation, both natural skin colour and because of exposure to the sun as in tanning.
Sometimes, a group of near-by melanocytes combine with a little local tissue to form a mole (also called a nevus; plural nevi). The average person has between ten and forty moles, which normally seem before the fortieth birthday. They frequently fade or disappear with age.
Moles are non-malignant (non-cancerous) and can be flat or raised in shape and almost any colour. Usually, they are slightly darker than one?s natural skin colour. Dark skinned people tend to have more moles.
Cancer starts in cells where the normal cycle of decay and replacement by regeneration has been Upset. In these conditions, cells do not always die when they ought to and new cells are produced unnecessarily.
This, in turn, creates a growth (also called a tumor), which can be either benign or malignant (ie cancerous or non-cancerous).
Benign tumors can be surgically removed and hardly ever come back. They do not spread or affect surrounding tissue.
Malignant tumors are cancerous and can have an effect on surrounding tissue and organs. In these cases, cancerous cells can break away from the primary tumor and have an impact on other organs or enter the blood stream (lymphatic system), wherein it can spread to other regions of the body (metastasis) quite quickly. The rate of metastasis is a deciding issue in how a physician deals with cancer.
Melanoma happens when melanocytes become malignant. It can happen at any age, but the chances increase with age. Fair-skinned people are more likely to develop it than dark-skinned individuals. In fair-skinned races, men tend to get it on the torso and neck, whereas women get it on their calves (lower legs).
Dark-skinned individuals seldom suffer from melanoma, but if they do, it is normally under the finger and toe nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. When cancerous cells from melanoma enter the lymphatic system and have an effect on other organs, it is still attributed to melanoma. For example, if the liver becomes affected by cancerous cells from melanoma, it is referred to as metastatic melanoma, not liver cancer.
Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, colour, or feel of an existing mole, although it frequently first manifests itself with a new mole or moles. Self-diagnosis is not to be relied on - always seek specialized advice if you have any concerns relating to your skin. However, it is wise to bear in mind ?The ABCD of Melanoma?, which goes thus:
Asymmetry: the shape of one side of the mole is not the same as the other side.
Border: the border or edges of the mole are not plainly defined; a bit tattered or the colouration ?leaks? into the surrounding skin.
Colouration: the mole is not uniformly of one colour, although it is not so vital what that colour is.
Diameter: there is a transformation in size or a new mole gets bigger than 5mm in size.
Melanocytes are found under the skin, which is made up of two strata: the epidermis on the outside and the dermis below that. To be accurate, melanocytes are found in the lowest levels of the epidermis, but not actually in the dermis.
These cells produce melanin, which has an effect on the epidermis? pigmentation, both natural skin colour and because of exposure to the sun as in tanning.
Sometimes, a group of near-by melanocytes combine with a little local tissue to form a mole (also called a nevus; plural nevi). The average person has between ten and forty moles, which normally seem before the fortieth birthday. They frequently fade or disappear with age.
Moles are non-malignant (non-cancerous) and can be flat or raised in shape and almost any colour. Usually, they are slightly darker than one?s natural skin colour. Dark skinned people tend to have more moles.
Cancer starts in cells where the normal cycle of decay and replacement by regeneration has been Upset. In these conditions, cells do not always die when they ought to and new cells are produced unnecessarily.
This, in turn, creates a growth (also called a tumor), which can be either benign or malignant (ie cancerous or non-cancerous).
Benign tumors can be surgically removed and hardly ever come back. They do not spread or affect surrounding tissue.
Malignant tumors are cancerous and can have an effect on surrounding tissue and organs. In these cases, cancerous cells can break away from the primary tumor and have an impact on other organs or enter the blood stream (lymphatic system), wherein it can spread to other regions of the body (metastasis) quite quickly. The rate of metastasis is a deciding issue in how a physician deals with cancer.
Melanoma happens when melanocytes become malignant. It can happen at any age, but the chances increase with age. Fair-skinned people are more likely to develop it than dark-skinned individuals. In fair-skinned races, men tend to get it on the torso and neck, whereas women get it on their calves (lower legs).
Dark-skinned individuals seldom suffer from melanoma, but if they do, it is normally under the finger and toe nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. When cancerous cells from melanoma enter the lymphatic system and have an effect on other organs, it is still attributed to melanoma. For example, if the liver becomes affected by cancerous cells from melanoma, it is referred to as metastatic melanoma, not liver cancer.
Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, colour, or feel of an existing mole, although it frequently first manifests itself with a new mole or moles. Self-diagnosis is not to be relied on - always seek specialized advice if you have any concerns relating to your skin. However, it is wise to bear in mind ?The ABCD of Melanoma?, which goes thus:
Asymmetry: the shape of one side of the mole is not the same as the other side.
Border: the border or edges of the mole are not plainly defined; a bit tattered or the colouration ?leaks? into the surrounding skin.
Colouration: the mole is not uniformly of one colour, although it is not so vital what that colour is.
Diameter: there is a transformation in size or a new mole gets bigger than 5mm in size.
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