What Is Melanoma?

May is Melanoma Awareness Month, and DeSilva Dermatology would like to remind you to get a “skin check-up” annually, especially if you’re susceptible to moles and other skin conditions.

Signs to watch out for

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. It is dangerous because it can spread to other parts of the body, including the lung, liver, bone and brain. The earlier it is detected and removed, the more likely the treatment will be successful.

Fortunately, when found early, melanoma is highly treatable. The key to finding it early is to perform skin self-exams so that you can check your own skin for signs of this skin cancer. If you find anything suspicious looking, make an appointment with your dermatologist.

Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or “ugly looking.”

Thinking of “ABCDE” can help you remember what to watch out for:

• Asymmetry: the shape of one half does not match the other
• Border: the edges are ragged, blurred or irregular
• Color: the color is uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan
• Diameter: there is a change in size, usually an increase
• Evolving: the mole has changed over the past few weeks or months

More people are developing melanoma than ever before. This can frequently be attributed to underuse of sunscreen, the first line of defense against the condition. Members of Gen Z seem to be going back to attaining that “golden glow,” which is unfortunate. A new survey from the American Academy of Dermatology confirms that 35% of Americans, including nearly 50% of Gen Z and millennials, got sunburned last year.

In men, it is often located on the head, neck or back. In women, it is often found on the legs or lower legs. People will dark skin are less likely to develop melanoma, but when they do, it can be found under the fingernails and toenails, on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet.

By age 50, men are more likely than women to develop melanoma. One reason may be that men know less about skin cancer.

Researchers also believe that a major cause may lie in men’s skin. We know that men’s skin differs from women’s skin. Men have thicker skin with less fat beneath. A man’s skin also contains more collagen and elastin, fibers that give the skin firmness and keep it tight.

Research shows that these differences make men’s skin more likely to be damaged by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. A study conducted in the Netherlands found that men’s skin reacted more intensely to UV rays than did women’s skin. A separate study reached the same conclusion.

Research also shows that a women’s skin may be better at repairing the damage caused by UV rays. Women are also more likely to use sunscreen frequently.

A family affair

Melanoma sometimes runs in families, and if you’ve had melanoma before, your risk is heightened for developing more. Long-term sun exposure, use of tanning beds and severe, blistering sunburns also increase your risk.

Can it occur in children?

Melanoma is rare in young children. Even so, there are times when a mole should be checked by your dermatologist just to be sure. Caught early, melanoma is highly treatable. To help parents find melanoma early, dermatologists want parents to know that melanoma can look different in children.

How is melanoma diagnosed?

The only way to diagnose melanoma is to remove tissue and check for cancer cells. Usually, this procedure only takes a few minutes and can be done in your doctor’s office.

How is it treated?

Surgery is the first treatment of all stages of melanoma. Other treatments include chemotherapy and radiation, biologic, and targeted therapies. Biologic therapy boosts your body’s own ability to fight cancer. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.

“Although sun exposure certainly contributes to melanoma, genetics play a large role,” says DeSilva Dermatology’s Dr. Thushan DeSilva. “The importance of this is that melanoma can arise anywhere on the skin (scalp under hair, soles, genitals…not necessarily only sun-exposed areas) which most are unaware of. Everyone is susceptible, especially if there is a family history of melanoma.”

Is it time for you to get a checkup? Make an appointment with DeSilva Dermatology by calling (830) 331-4150.