What is Melanoma?
This form of cancer begins in the melanocytes cells, which make melanin, the pigment that determines our natural skin color. Although melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the most serious. Melanoma causes three-fourths of U.S. skin cancer deaths.

Common places for melanoma to occur are on men’s trunks and women’s lower legs, but they can occur elsewhere, such as in the eye (ocular or intraocular melanomas). Rarely, melanoma shows up in the mouth, brain, ears, the digestive tract, lymph nodes, or other areas where melanocytes are found.

Risk Factors

Sun Exposure: UV radiation exposure is the number one risk factor for development of melanoma. Cutaneous signs associated with sun exposure including freckles, actinic keratoses and fair skin are also associated with an increased risk of melanoma.

Non Melanoma Skin Cancer: Anyone who has had a prior basal cell carcinoma or a squamous cell carcinoma has an increased risk of developing melanoma.

Increasing age: Your chances of developing melanoma increase with age.

Genetics: Anyone who has close family members with a melanoma has an increased risk of melanoma, mostly likely because of a similar kind of gene mutation.

Moles: A mole (“nevus”) is a benign (noncancerous) tumor that usually begins during the childhood or teenage years. A mole is a collection of pigment cells that are usually round or oval, flat or raised, symmetrical with smooth borders, and are one of several colors. People with lots of irregular moles are thought to be at a higher risk for melanoma.

Congenital melanocytic nevi: are moles that are present at birth and bring about a 6 percent lifetime risk. The larger the melanocytic nevi, the greater the risk.

Symptoms

Melanoma can be found almost anywhere on the body, but is most likely to be on the trunks of men, legs of women, and upper backs of both. The first sign is a flat or slightly raised, somewhat geometrical, discolored patch with irregular borders, in colors of tan, brown, black, red, blue, or white. Sometimes an older mole will turn into this kind of melanoma.
Any skin lesion that demonstrates the ABCDE criteria should be evaluated by a dermatologist. A = Asymmetry, B=Border irregularity, C=Color variegation, D= Diameter greater than 1 cm, E= Evolving, any lesion that grows or changes rapidly in a few weeks or months time.

Diagnosis

You should examine your skin regularly to watch for changes in your skin and for new suspicious growths. Call your dermatologist if you notice a change in the color, size, texture, or appearance of a skin lesion, or if you notice bleeding, itching, inflammation, or pain in an existing lesion.