Melanoma information

What is skin cancer?

There are 2 main types of skin cancer - non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer.

Non melanoma skin cancer includes:

basal cell skin cancer - this is also called basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
squamous cell skin cancer - this is also called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
some other rare types
Non melanoma skin cancers tend to develop most often on skin that's exposed to the sun. There is a high cure rate for these cancers. Most people only have minor surgery and don't need further treatment.

It is important that you check your skin regularly. ( https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/melanoma)

Melanoma skin cancer

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body.
The main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
Things that increase your chances of getting melanoma include your age and having pale skin, a large number of moles and a family history of skin cancer.
It's often possible to prevent skin cancer by being careful in the sun – for example, by using sunscreen and reapplying it regularly.
How melanoma is treated depends on where it is, if it has spread to other areas of your body and your general health. Surgery is the main treatment.

Do You Know the ABCDEs of Melanoma?

https://www.cumberlandskin.com/healthy-skin-blog/do-you-know-the-abcdes-of-melanoma

Take a moment to look at your skin. Do you see any suspicious spots or abnormal looking moles? Do you know what warning signs and symptoms to be looking out for when self-examining your skin for melanoma?

While this form of skin cancer is one of the rarest, it has the highest chance of spreading to other parts of the body, making it one of the most dangerous.

This is why it’s important to become more familiar with the ABCDEs of melanoma so you can better understand how this skin cancer, as well as other types, show up on the skin. Learn more by reading our dermatologists’ guide below.

Stages of skin cancer

Melanoma skin cancer in situ (stage 0)

Melanoma in situ is also called stage 0 melanoma. It means the cancer cells are contained in the top layer of skin and have not spread.

Stage 1 melanoma skin cancer

Stage 1 means the melanoma is only in the skin. There is no sign that it has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Stage 2 melanoma skin cancer

Stage 2 melanoma is only in the skin. There is no sign that it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Stage 3 melanoma skin cancer

Stage 3 means the melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Or it has spread to an area between the melanoma and the nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 4 melanoma skin cancer

Advanced melanoma is also called metastatic or stage 4 melanoma.

Melanoma can spread to other areas on the skin or to soft tissue. Soft tissue includes muscles, nerves, fat, and blood vessels. Sometimes it can spread to more than one area.

Other common places for melanoma to spread include your:

lymph nodes further away from the melanoma – which ones depend on where the melanoma is

lungs, liver, bones, brain and small bowel

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/melanoma

Treatment for advanced melanoma skin cancer

Sometimes the melanoma may have already spread when you are first diagnosed. Your surgeon may recommend removing the original (primary) melanoma. But it depends on how many areas of the body it has spread to.

If the melanoma has only spread to one other part of the body, your doctor may also recommend you have surgery to remove the secondary cancer. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist surgeon for this operation.

Other treatments you might have for advanced melanoma skin cancer include:

immunotherapy

targeted cancer drugs

radiotherapy to specific sites of melanoma, for example the bone or brain