Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes and SymptomsComplicationsCausesDiagnosisStagingTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types and Symptoms
Complications
Causes
Diagnosis
Staging
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Melanoma is a skin cancer that arises from a skin cell called a melanocyte, which makes the pigment (melanin) that gives your skin its color.Melanoma can appear in different ways, most commonly as a new spot on the skin or as an already existing mole that changes in color, size, or shape. While considered the most dangerous type of skin cancer because of its ability to spread throughout the body rapidly, melanoma is generally very treatable if found early.
Distinguishing between a cancerous and a normal mole can be challenging, even for healthcare providers. This is why a dermatologist should check out any new, changed, or out-of-place skin spot.
Verywell / Alexandra Gordon
Potential signs and symptoms of melanoma include:
This list is not all-inclusive, but is limited in common symptoms. Each of the four main subtypes of melanoma can present with unique characteristics.Moles with a diameter the same size or larger than a pencil eraser should be evaluated.
Superficial Spreading
This is the most common subtype of melanoma in people with fair skin. It usually begins as a brown or black spot that is asymmetric, has irregular borders, and exhibits changes in color.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoDermNet / CC BY-NC-ND
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Nodular
After superficial spreading melanoma,nodular melanomais the next most common type of melanoma in fair-skinned individuals.Instead of growing outward, this melanoma grows vertically (deep into the skin).
Nodular melanoma usually begins as a dark or lightly colored (pink hue) raised spot.
Lentigo Maligna
This subtype of melanoma is most common in chronically sun-damaged areas of skin in older adults.Lentigo maligna typically starts as an irregular-shaped tan or brown spot that grows slowly over the years to form a larger spot that becomes asymmetric and/or develops color changes or raised areas.
Acral Lentiginous
This subtype accounts for less than 5% of all melanomas. However, it is the most common type among dark-skin individuals.
Acral lentiginous melanomausually appears on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet as an irregularly-shaped growth or an elevated, thickened patch that is changing in color or size.It may also appear underneath a fingernail or toenail as a brown or black streak or band.
If melanomagrows large and spreadsto other regions of the body, it may cause symptoms related to that spread. For example, a melanoma that has spread to the liver may causejaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin.Cancers that have spread may also cause systemic symptoms such as fatigue, unintentional weight loss, and weakness.
Melanoma develops when DNA changes occur within melanocytes.These DNA changes cause once normal, healthy skin cells to turn into cancer cells that grow uncontrollably.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from natural or artificial sources, including tanning beds and sun lamps, is a major cause of melanoma because UV rays can directly damage the DNA within skin cells.Besides UV exposure, otherrisk factorsthat increase your risk of developing melanoma include:
Bear in mind that people with dark skin can get melanoma, and due to similarities in color between the skin and the mole, these cases can be more difficult to diagnose.In addition, people without any risk factors or who have had very little sun exposure or wear sunscreen can get melanoma.
1:50The ABCDE Rule of Melanoma
1:50
The ABCDE Rule of Melanoma
In assessing for potential melanoma, they will also consider other possible conditions. For example, sometimes acral lentiginous can mimic benign (noncancerous) conditions, like warts, ingrown toenails, calluses, or athlete’s foot.
Skin Examination
During the skin exam, your healthcare provider will carefully examine your skin for suspicious marks or spots, noting their size, shape, color, and texture. They may use a tool called a dermatoscope, which is an instrument that contains a light and magnifying lens to better visualize skin spots.
ABCDE Rule
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Waikato District Health Boardwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Another potential warning sign of melanoma is a mole that stands out from other moles due to its different appearance—even if it does not fulfill the above ABCDE criteria.This is referred to as the"ugly duckling" sign.
What Normal Moles and Skin Cancer Look Like
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet and © Waikato District Health Boardwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Skin Biopsy
Sometimes, to confirm the diagnosis of melanoma or to further evaluate the genetic pattern of the melanoma cells (which can affect melanoma treatment and prognosis), a dermatopathologist will perform additional tests on the biopsy sample in the lab.
Imaging Tests
If the biopsy results show the presence of melanoma, imaging tests, such as a chest X-ray orcomputed tomography (CT) scanmay be performed to determine if and how far the disease has spread.
The 5 Stages of Melanoma
After you’re diagnosed with melanoma, your dermatologist will then stage cancer. Staging tells you how deeply the melanoma has grown into the skin and how far it has spread. Melanoma is grouped into the following stages:
Your healthcare provider will use the stage to determine your cancer treatment.
There are currently five methods oftreating melanoma—surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.Treatment depends largely on how deeply the melanoma has grown, whether cancerhas spread, and your overall health.
Surgery
Advanced Melanoma
Two types of therapies may be recommended if the disease is more advanced.Immunotherapiesare drugs that stimulate a person’s immune system to attack cancer.Targeted therapiesare drugs that attack melanoma cells containing specific gene mutations.
Chemotherapy,which are drugs that kill rapidly growing cells like cancer cells, is generally considered a second-line treatment for melanoma.Radiation therapyis an uncommon treatment for melanoma and is only used in select cases.
While you cannot control all of your risk factors for developing melanoma (e.g., having fair skin or your family history), you can protect yourself from sun exposure to UV rays. Strategies to reduce your overall UV exposure include:
Performing Skin Self-Exams
In addition to minimizing UV exposure, regular skin self-exams are important for detecting a new or abnormal growth before it can turn into melanoma or another type of skin cancer.
When doing a skin self-examination, you need to look at all areas of your body, including your elbows, underarms, buttocks, back, back of your neck, scalp, palms, soles of your feet, and spaces between your toes, and underneath your nails. It helps to have a mirror to view difficult-to-see areas.
Look for any changes to color, shape, and size of any freckle, mole, blemish, reddened, itchy, or bleeding areas. If you find anything concerning, make an appointment to see your dermatologist.
There is no set guideline on how often to perform self-skin exams. Therefore, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider about the right time frame for you.
How to Perform a Skin Self-Exam
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Lastly, as with all types of cancers, prevention is key.This includes reducing your exposure to direct sunlight and other forms of UV radiation and covering up with sunscreen and protective clothing as much as possible.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThe five warning signs of melanoma follow the acronym ABCDE and stand for asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolving.Early stages of melanoma can look very similar to a mole or can be a mole with changing color or shape. It’s important to watch for these types of skin changes.The body’s immune system may remove cancer cells before you even recognize a change on the skin. However, once diagnosed with melanoma, it will not go away independently but will require surgical treatment and possibly more advanced treatment interventions.After melanoma is surgically removed, your healthcare provider will recommend further treatments for more advanced stages. Once diagnosed with melanoma, it’s important to have a dermatologist perform a skin assessment each year in addition to performing self-exams.
The five warning signs of melanoma follow the acronym ABCDE and stand for asymmetry, border, color, diameter, and evolving.
Early stages of melanoma can look very similar to a mole or can be a mole with changing color or shape. It’s important to watch for these types of skin changes.
The body’s immune system may remove cancer cells before you even recognize a change on the skin. However, once diagnosed with melanoma, it will not go away independently but will require surgical treatment and possibly more advanced treatment interventions.
After melanoma is surgically removed, your healthcare provider will recommend further treatments for more advanced stages. Once diagnosed with melanoma, it’s important to have a dermatologist perform a skin assessment each year in addition to performing self-exams.
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