Skin Cancer

Melanoma

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Melanoma is the most common cause of death from skin cancer. With early diagnosis, however, 85 percent of patients can be cured. The goal is to recgonize malanoma early when it's potentially curable.

Melanoma begins in cells called melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells. When melanoma starts in the skin, the disease is called cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma also may occur in the eye, a condition called ocular melanoma or intraocular melanoma. Rarely, melanoma may arise in the meninges, the digestive tract, lymph nodes or other areas where melanocytes are found.

It can occur on any skin surface. In men, it is often found on the trunk or the head and neck. In women, the condition often develops on the lower legs as well as the upper back. The chance of developing melanoma increases with age, but it affects people of all ages and is one of the most common cancers in young adults.

When melanoma spreads, cancer cells are found in the lymphatic system. If the cancer reaches the lymph nodes, cancer cells may have spread to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs or brain. In these cases, cancer cells in the new tumor are still melanoma cells and the disease is called metastatic melanoma rather than liver, lung or brain cancer.

Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of an existing mole. Most melanomas have a black or blue-black area. Melanoma also may appear as a new, black, abnormal or "ugly-looking" mole. Rarely, melanoma is not pigmented and is more difficult to diagnose. It may appear as a non-healing ulcer or a new scar-like lump in the skin.

The warning signs of melanoma sometimes are referred to as ABCDE:

• Asymmetry — Two halves of a lesion that are not the same
• Border — Borders of a lesion are irregular, scalloped or vague
• Color — Color varies from one area to another, including shades of tan or brown as well as black, blue, red and white
• Diameter — A lesion that is greater than 6 millimeters in diameter, about the size of a pencil eraser
• Evolution — Lesions that change or evolve

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007