What is Melanoma ?

Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer. It is not as common as other types of skin cancer, but it is the most serious.


Melanoma can affect your skin only, or it may spread to your organs and bones. Luckily, it can be cured if it’s found and treated early.

Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that starts in the pigment-producing skin cells (melanocytes). These cells become abnormal, grow uncontrollably, and aggressively invade surrounding tissues.

What causes melanoma?

You can get melanoma by spending too much time in the sun. This causes normal skin cells to become abnormal. These abnormal cells quickly grow out of control and attack the tissues around them.
Melanoma tends to run in families. Other things in your family background can increase your chances of getting the disease. For example, you may have abnormal, or atypical, moles. Atypical moles may fade into the skin and have a flat part that is level with the skin. They may be smooth or slightly scaly, or they may look rough and “pebbly.” These moles don't cause cancer by themselves. But having many of them is a sign that melanoma may run in your family.

What are the symptoms ?

The main sign of melanoma is a change in a mole or other skin growth, such as a birthmark. Any change in the shape, or of a mole may be a sign of melanoma.

The most important warning sign for melanoma is a change in size, shape, or color of a mole or other skin growth, such as a birthmark. One of the things to watch for is diameter.
Diameter is width. If the diameter across a mole or skin growth is larger than 1/4 inch (6 mm), or about the size of a pencil eraser, talk to your doctor. Also, call your doctor if any mole seems to be growing, even if it is still smaller than 1/4 inch (6 mm).