Melanoma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melanoma 
i/ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/ (from Greek μέλας
— melas, "dark")[1] is a malignant tumor of melanocytes.[2] Melanocytes
produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. These
cells predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the
body, including the bowel and the eye (see uveal
melanoma). Melanoma can originate in any part of the body that contains
melanocytes.
i/ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/ (from Greek μέλας
— melas, "dark")[1] is a malignant tumor of melanocytes.[2] Melanocytes
produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. These
cells predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the
body, including the bowel and the eye (see uveal
melanoma). Melanoma can originate in any part of the body that contains
melanocytes.
Melanoma is less common than other skin
cancers. However, it is much more dangerous if it is not found early. It
causes the majority (75%) of deaths related to skin cancer.[3] Worldwide,
doctors diagnose about 160,000 new cases of melanoma yearly. In women, the most
common site is the legs and melanomas in men are most common on the back.[4] It is
particularly common among Caucasians,
especially northern Europeans and northwestern Europeans living in sunny
climates. There are higher rates in Oceania, North America, Europe, Southern
Africa, and Latin America,[5] with
low rates in southern Italy and Sicily.[6] This
geographic pattern reflects the primary cause, ultraviolet
light (UV) exposure[7] crossed
with the amount of skin pigmentation in the population.[8][9]
The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor. If
melanoma is found early, while it is still small and thin, and if it is
completely removed, then the chance of cure is high. The likelihood that the melanoma
will come back or spread depends on how deeply it has gone into the layers of
the skin. For melanomas that come back or spread, treatments include chemo- and immunotherapy, orradiation
therapy.
Melanoma
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Classification and external resources
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a melanoma
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