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about melanoma | about melanoma |
 Lentigo maligna melanoma Melanoma is a form of skin cancer which arises from the cells in the skin (melanocytes) which produce the skin colour common and which respond to sunlight by producing more pigment, a suntan. Because it is on the skin it is easy to diagnose early, and because it is closely associated with excessive sunlight exposure it is possible to prevent at least 80% of melanomas. People often associate cancer with a high risk of death but this is not accurate for many cancers and certainly not accurate for melanoma. In Australia, 90% of people who get the melanoma did not die from it. This is because the melanoma is diagnosed early and removed successfully. The good news about melanoma is this high level of early diagnosis and cure. In the last 30 years the death rate from melanoma has fallen from 40% to 10%, essentially because of early diagnosis and prompt treatment. The bad news is that there is still a high level of melanoma in the community and many people still do not minimise the deleterious effect of sunlight on their skin effectively. Skin cancer is the commonest cancer in the Australian population. The more common skin cancers are basal cell cancer (BCC) and squamous cell cancer (SCC) which are much more common than melanoma but are rarely fatal. They are arise from the surface cells of the skin known as basal cells and squamous cells. They too can be diagnosed early and easily treated. It is important to report any new or changing skin lesion to your doctor to get early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.  BCC BCC is the commonest of the skin cancers and appears as a small pale "pearl like" lump on the skin which grows very slowly and eventually it will become a small ulcer. Squamous cell cancer (SCC) SCC is the second most common cancer on the skin and it usually appears initially as a small flaky area (keratosis) but after a few months becomes lumpy and red. However, only a small portion of keratoses ever become cancers so there is no need to worry when this very common skin condition occurs. It is very common in older Australians with sun damaged skin. BCC and SCC are relatively easily treated. In the early stages cryotherapy (freezing) is commonly used but when they become larger or deeper, surgical removal is the treatment of choice. In recent years cytotoxic (cell killing) creams have also become generally used and are quite effective for small skin cancers. Melanoma Melanoma is the least common over skin cancers, but it is more important because it does have a much high-risk of spreading throughout the body if it is not diagnosed early and treated efficiently. It normally starts from a "mole", a pigmented spot but can arise from normal skin. The mole will change color, usually developing darkening which eventually will become blue-black in color. However it is important to note that some melanomas do not have of these pigment changes and only the rapid growth of a lump on the skin raises suspicion that a melanoma might be developing. These melanomas are called "amelanotic" meaning no pigment is seen. Any change in a mole occurring over two to three months should be reported to the doctor for diagnosis.  Superficial spreading melanoma  Nodular melanoma  Lentigo maligna melanoma |