what is melanoma?
Melanoma is a highly aggressive form of skin cancer that has a tendency to spread to other parts of the body. It accounts for around 80% of skin cancer related deaths.
Melanoma is a cancer that develops from melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells that impart colour to the skin, hair and eyes. Prolonged exposure to sun or UV light damages melanocytes, causing them to grow and divide rapidly and spread into the surrounding surface layers of the skin. This out of control growth usually looks like a rapidly growing mole or dark spot on the skin.
If not diagnosed and treated, melanoma will grow and spread along the epidermis before penetrating deeper layers of the skin and eventually coming into contact with lymph and blood vessels. If the melanoma breaks through into a blood vessel then this allows the melanoma to spread to distant sites or distant organs. This is called ‘metastatic melanoma’. Metastatic melanoma most commonly occurs in the liver, lungs, bones or brain.
People with darker skin tones are generally less likely to develop melanoma than people with fairer skin. This is because their skin produces more melanin, which protects against the harmful effects of UV radiation. However, even dark-skinned people can and do contract melanoma.
In women, melanoma is most commonly found on the lower legs. In men, melanoma is most commonly found on the head, neck, chest and back. Melanomas are uncommon in areas which are protected from sun exposure. However, in dark-skinned people, melanoma is more commonly found under the nails of the fingers or toes, on the palms of the hands, or soles of the feet.
