Oncology & Cancer

Sex matters in how, when, and where melanomas develop

Melanoma rates differ consistently between men and women in terms of the ages at which melanomas occur and the locations on the body where they occur. Over time, melanoma rates have increased in both men and women, but the ...

Oncology & Cancer

Screening for skin cancer: Who is at risk?

There are three major kinds of skin cancer—squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. Melanoma is the most dangerous. The first sign of melanoma is a change in an existing mole or a new, unusual-looking ...

page 1 from 40

Melanoma i/ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/ (from Greek μέλας - melas, "dark") is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). Melanoma can occur in any part of the body that contains melanocytes.

Melanoma is less common than other skin cancers. However, it is much more dangerous and causes the majority (75%) of deaths related to skin cancer. Worldwide, doctors diagnose about 160,000 new cases of melanoma yearly. The diagnosis is more frequent in women than in men and is particularly common among Caucasians living in sunny climates, with high rates of incidence in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Latin America, and northern Europe. According to a WHO report, about 48,000 melanoma related deaths occur worldwide per year.

The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor, adjuvant treatment, chemo- and immunotherapy, or radiation therapy. The chance of a cure is greatest when the tumor is discovered while it is still small and thin, and can be entirely removed surgically.

This text uses material from Wikipedia licensed under CC BY-SA