Melanoma is a skin cancer of the melanocytes, the cells that make melanin (brown pigments). Accounting for more than 80 percent of all skin cancer deaths, melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Early detection and treatment greatly increase the likelihood of total freedom from melanoma. Since 1950, melanoma incidence has increased more than 20-fold in older men, and the rate of associated mortality in men has tripled (Geller, et al).
The earliest, most common symptoms of melanoma are abnormal growths on the skin or changes in existing moles. It is therefore important to seek medical attention upon noticing any abnormal changes in your skin.
Melanoma is usually diagnosed through a full skin exam and a biopsy of the suspicious-looking area. If melanoma is found, a stage will be assigned to it; stage I melanoma is the earliest stage, while stage IV indicates that the cancer has spread elsewhere on the body, making treatment more difficult. Melanoma is typically treated by surgically removing the melanoma; later stages of melanoma may also include chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy all cancer cells. Sometime a sentinal lymph node biopsy is needed for staging by a general surgeon.
