(See also skin cancer – an overview<\/a> .)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanocytes are the pigment-producing cells that give the skin its typical color. Sunlight stimulates them to produce more melanin (the pigment that tans the skin); this stimulation increases the risk of melanoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every year, more than 76,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma in the United States, and about 10,000 people die from it. Although melanoma accounts for less than 5% of all skin cancer<\/a> cases diagnosed in the United States, it causes most skin cancer-<\/a> related deaths. One person dies of melanoma every hour in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanoma initially manifests itself as a new, small, pigmented growth on normal skin, mostly in areas that are exposed to the sun. About one in three melanomas develops from an existing birthmark<\/a> . Melanomas can also occur on and inside the eyes, mouth, genitals and rectal areas, as well as in the brain and nail beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanomas like to spread to distant parts of the body (metastasize), where they continue to grow and destroy tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two most common types of melanoma are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Risk factors for melanoma include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n People who have previously had melanoma are at greater risk of developing melanoma again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanomas are less common in dark-skinned people. If melanomas nevertheless occur in dark-skinned people, these often arise in the nail beds, on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanomas are very rare in children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although melanoma can occur during pregnancy, pregnancy does not increase the likelihood that a birthmark will develop melanoma. Birthmarks often change size or become darker during pregnancy. Pregnant women should know the melanoma ABCDE<\/a> so that they can examine their birthmarks for malignant (cancerous) changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melanomas can vary in appearance. Some are flat, irregular, brown spots with little black dots in them. Others appear as raised spots with red, white, black, or blue dots. Sometimes melanoma also appears as a solid red, black, or brown lump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Less than 10% of melanomas do not produce pigments. These so-called amelanotic melanomas can be pink, red or slightly light brown and look like benign growths or a form of white skin cancer.Superficial melanoma that spreads<\/p>\n\n\n\n DR.’S PICTURE MED. GREGORY L. WELLS.melanoma<\/p>\n\n\n\n PHOTO COURTESY OF GREGORY L. WELLS, MD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A new birthmark or changes in a birthmark – such as enlargement (especially with irregular margins), darkening, inflammation, occasional color changes, bleeding, itching, tenderness and pain – as well as the ABCDE of the melanoma can be<\/a> warning signs of a possible melanoma. If these or other findings suspect melanoma, the doctor will perform a biopsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the growth is small, the biopsy is completely removed. If the growth is large, only a part is removed. The tissue is then examined under the microscope to determine whether it is melanoma and, if so, whether the entire tumor has been removed. If the biopsy confirms that the tissue is melanoma and has not been completely removed, it will be removed completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most dark pigmented growths that are removed for a biopsy are not melanomas, but rather simple birthmarks<\/a> . Nevertheless, the removal of harmless birthmarks is preferable to the growth of a single tumor. Some growths are neither simple birthmarks nor melanomas, but something in between. These atypical males<\/a> (dysplastic nevi) sometimes turn into melanoma later. Additional tools are available to doctors to distinguish a striking mark from melanoma. These include polarized light and dermatoscopy, which are helpful in determining the mark more precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\nrisk factors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![](\"https:\/\/mostcommoncancer.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/tn_melanoma_superficial_spreading_wells_de.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/mostcommoncancer.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/nodular_melanoma_high_de.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\ndiagnosis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The ABCDE of melanoma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n