What Is Melanoma?

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It is the most

serious type of skin cancer and the most deadly.

But, if it is found and treated early, it can be cured.

Melanomas can spread quickly and if it spreads

past the skin, it is difficult to treat.

Fast Fact:

Cancer cells are abnormal cells that divide or multiply in an uncontrolled way. When an abnormal cell keeps multiplying, an abnormal growth or tumor can form. Some tumors are benign—they are not cancerous growths and do not spread to other body tissues. Other tumors are malignant. Malignant tumors are made up of abnormal cells which divide rapidly. These tumors do not function normally in the body and can interfere with body processes. These are cancers.

There are many different types of cancer.

Melanomas begin in skin cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes are in the top layer of skin (the epidermis) and make melanin. Melanin is a pigment that gives skin its color. Most melanomas are brown or black in color, but some melanomas can be pink, red, purple or even light in color.

It is important to check into any mole or skin growth that changes over time. This could signal that skin cancer has developed. Most likely, it is just a normal change in the growth, but it is a good idea to get it checked by a doctor just to make sure.

(See The ABCDEs of Skin Cancer in this module)

Are you at risk for melanoma?

You are more at risk of developing a melanoma if you:

Have light hair or light skin
Have a family history of skin cancers
Have multiple birthmarks or moles
Have had three or more blistering sunburns in childhood
Work at an outside job and do not use sun protection
Live in an area with high levels of sun exposure but do not use sun protection

How can you avoid getting melanoma?

One of the greatest risk factors for developing skin cancer is unprotected sun exposure. Most skin cancers are the result of excessive exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. How does the sun increase risk for skin cancer? Sunlight has two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays. UVA (think UV Aging) and UVB (think Burning).

UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin and are mainly responsible for aging effects of people who spend a lot of unprotected time in the sun. Skin will age prematurely and have more wrinkles than in people who have not been exposed to unprotected UV rays.

UVB rays result in burning layers of the skin and damaging skin cells. Repeatedly damaging cells is a risk factor for developing skin cancers.

There are other sources of UV rays

besides the sun and they can also cause

skin cancer. The use of tanning beds is

also linked to an increase in skin cancer

and the risk of melanoma is higher if a

person starts indoor tanning before age

30-35 years. (American Cancer Society)

Although some people still believe that the use of tanning beds to get a tan is safer than sunbathing, it is not. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found that tanning beds and sunlamps are “carcinogenic (cancer-causing) to humans.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that a warning be posted on all devices that use UV rays: “Persons repeatedly exposed to UV radiation should be regularly evaluated for skin cancer.”

To reduce your risk of developing a melanoma:

Use sunscreen whenever you are going to

spend time in the sun.

Cover up with a hat or long, loose clothing

if you burn easily.

Don’t go to tanning salons. Indoor tanning

increases your risk of developing melanoma.

Check moles often. If you notice a change in a mole or birthmark, see a doctor to have it checked.