What is Melanoma?
Melanoma is a form of cancer that usually starts in the skin. It is also known as malignant melanoma. It can begin in a mole or normal-looking skin that may or may not have been exposed to the sun. Melanoma develops when cells called melanocytes begin to divide and grow faster than normal.
There are four main types of skin melanoma:
- Superficial spreading melanoma
- Nodular melanoma
- Lentigo maligna melanoma
- Acral lentiginous melanoma
Symptoms of Melanoma
Around half of all melanomas begin with a new, abnormal-looking mole in normal-looking skin. You may notice this looks like a dark area or a new mole that changes over weeks or months. Melanomas can also develop from existing moles. When examining moles you should use the ABCDE method.
Treatment Options
The main treatment option for melanoma is surgery. The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma will have surgery after their mole has been removed. However your treatment is dependent on:
- where your melanoma is
- how far it has grown or spread (the stage)
- your general health
- The depth of the melanoma