Burn Injury Resource Center

Types of malignant melanoma:

• Superficial spreading melanoma: this type appears as a brown or a black lesion, flat or slightly raised that may show irregular borders and color variegation. It's the most common type of melanoma in whites and most often appears on the upper arm and back in men and on the legs in women. This type spread initially through the epidermis which is the top layer of the skin, it can spread to the other layers of the skin (dermis and subcutaneous tissue) or even other parts of the body if it's not diagnosed and treated early.
• Nodular melanoma: this type of melanoma spreads quickly therefore it's the most aggressive type; it appears as a rapidly enlarging lump that is usually black in color. It may ulcerate and present as a non healing skin ulcer.
• Acral lentiginous melanoma: this type usually appears as a black or brown macule that has an irregular border on the palm of the hand, sole of the feet and under the nail. It's the most common among darker skin color people.
• Mucosal melanoma: this type may appear on the eyelid, lips, esophagus, penis, vulva, and anus.
• Lentigo maligna melanoma: this type appears on sun damaged skin of the face, neck and scalp as an irregular shaped, pigmented, flat lesion.

Diagnosis:

Diagnosis is made by examining a new appearing lesion or a change in a previously present lesion, when there is a suspicion, a biopsy will be taken and examined under the microscope to confirm the diagnosis. Other diagnostic test maybe needed to diagnose how far the disease has spread such as US, CT scan, MRI and others.

Treatment:

Treatment is usually done by surgically removing the melanoma with removing normal skin surrounding the lesion. Skin graft maybe needed when the lesion is large. In advanced cases lymph nodes maybe removed if melanoma has spread to lymph nodes. Other modalities of treatment maybe used depending on the stage of the disease which includes Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. They may be used in combination depending on the stage of the disease.

Regular follow up is important after treatment to make sure that the tumor hasn't returned back as malignant melanoma has a risk of recurrence.

Prevention:

• Wearing protective clothes help to protect the skin from the effect of sunlight and avoid going out during peak hours from 10am-4pm.
• Using broad spectrum sunscreens with a sun protection factor of at least 15 or more. Wearing sunscreen 30 minutes before sunlight exposure and on all exposed body areas. Reapply frequently.
• Tanning beds avoidance.
• Regularly check your skin for any abnormal skin lesion and any change in previously present lesion, notify your doctor of any skin suspicious lesion.
• Have your doctor examine your skin regularly.

This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice; it should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.

Malignant melanoma is a serious skin cancer affecting the melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells located at the base of the epidermis (see the skin). They are responsible for producing Melanin which is a protein that gives color to the skin, eyes and hair. In the skin melanin pigment acts as an umbrella that absorbs and protects the skin from the effect of ultraviolet radiation. The more melanin produced by melanocyes, the darker the skin.

Malignant melanoma known also as melanoma happens when melanocytes begin to grow in an uncontrollable way. It can happen at all ages but it's more common in young adults and the risk increases with age. Although anyone can be affected, there are certain risk factors that increase the risk of having malignant melanoma and these risk factors include:

• Fair colored skin.
• Excessive sunlight exposure.
• History of sunburn.
• Previous history of melanoma or other skin cancer squamous or basal cell carcinoma.
• Family history of melanoma.
• Presence of large number of moles (more than 50).
• Presence of abnormal moles (called a typical or dysplastic mole).
• People with low immune system such as those with Aids or having organ transplantation.
• People with Xeroderma pigmentosa witch is a genetic disorder.

Signs and symptoms:

Malignant melanoma can appear in normal looking skin or can be appear in a previously present mole or freckle. Warning Changes in a mole or a freckle include:

The ABCDE guide:

• A for asymmetry in shape where one half is different from the other half.
• B for border, change in border may include notched or poorly defined border.
• C for color, uneven distribution of color or more than one color in a lesion is a warning sign.
• D for diameter, lesions with a diameter greater than 6 millimeter is a warning sign.
• E for evolving (changing, enlarging).

Other warning changes may include:

• Itching.
• Change in consistency eg, become hard.
• Change in sensation.
• Bleeding.
• Oozing.
• Pigment spread to the surrounding skin.

Malignant melanoma can appear anywhere in the body where melanocytes are present, some appear on sun exposed areas such as the face and hands while others can appear in places such as under the nail (subungual), between the toes, palms and soles, the eye, genitals and mouth. Primary tumors are more common on the back in men and on the lower extremity in women.

This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice; it should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.