Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of malignant tumors.
If not detected in time, it grows rapidly and can metastasize to other organs, including the brain.
Melanoma affects more than 200,000 people worldwide each year. The average age of melanoma patients is 59, although people aged 30-50 are also susceptible to the disease.
About 80% of melanoma cases are related to exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun or tanning beds. One in ten patients with melanoma has a family history of the disease.
Oncologist of the 1st category of the HappyDerm medical center Lyudmila Artyushkevich notes that melanoma can occur both on healthy skin and on the site of moles. In women, the skin of the legs is often affected, and in men - the back. In older people, melanoma is more often found on the skin of the face.
This tumor is usually a painless flat lump or nodule on the skin that is black-blue, brown, or pink in color. Sometimes the tumor can be several shades at once.
In most cases, the tumor affects the skin, but it can also be located on the mucous membrane, such as the oral cavity or female genital organs.
Risk factors for developing melanoma:
- hereditary predisposition;
- phototype I and II – light skin, hair and eyes, freckles;
- multiple moles, pigment spots;
- excessive ultraviolet radiation, both natural and in a solarium;
- endocrine diseases;
- frequent damage to a mole.
Signs that may indicate the presence of melanoma and the need to see a doctor:
- The mole grows and changes quickly.
- Uneven coloring of a mole.
- Fuzzy outline of a mole.
- Asymmetrical shape of a mole.
- Inflammation, itching, bleeding.
Good news about melanoma:
- melanoma is diagnosed quite easily when visiting an oncologist;
- if the tumor is detected in the early stages, when it has not yet had time to metastasize, in more than 90% of cases the disease can be defeated;
- Early diagnosis and treatment of melanoma are the most effective methods of combating this disease.
