The epidermis is separated from the deeper layers of skin by the basement membrane. When a skin cancer becomes more advanced, it generally grows through this barrier and into the deeper layers. Melanoma is a cancer that begins in the melanocytes. Other names for this cancer include malignant melanoma and cutaneous melanoma. Most melanoma cells still make melanin, so melanoma tumors are usually brown or black.
But some melanomas do not make melanin and can appear pink, tan, or even white. Melanomas can develop anywhere on the skin, but they are more likely to start on the trunk chest and back in men and on the legs in women. The neck and face are other common sites. Having darkly pigmented skin lowers your risk of melanoma at these more common sites, but anyone can get melanoma on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or under the nails.
It can also lack pigment and appear as a pink or skin-tone lesion amelanotic. What you should know: This form of melanoma often develops in older people. When this cancer becomes invasive or spreads beyond the original site, the disease is known as lentigo maligna melanoma. How and where it grows: This form of melanoma is similar to the superficial spreading type, growing close to the skin surface at first.
The tumor typically arises on sun-damaged skin on the face, ears, arms or upper torso. What it looks like: It may look like a flat or slightly raised, blotchy patch with uneven borders. Color is usually blue-black, but can vary from tan to brown or dark brown.
What you should know: This is the most common form of melanoma found in people of color, including individuals of African ancestry. How and where it grows: It often appears in hard-to-spot places including under the nails and on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. What it looks like: It may appear as a black or brown area. Musician Bob Marley was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma, which ultimately claimed his life at age When a dark spot appeared under his toenail, Marley attributed it to a soccer injury.
Eventually he was diagnosed with the disease but was not treated. His melanoma spread to other areas of his body and tragically cut his life short. What you should know: This is the most aggressive type of melanoma.
It accounts for 10 to 15 percent of all cases. How and where it grows: The tumor grows deeper into the skin more rapidly than other types and is most frequently found on the torso, legs and arms, as well as the scalp in older men. It is usually invasive at the time it is first diagnosed. What it looks like: Nodular melanoma is often recognized as a bump on the skin, usually blue-black in color, but not uncommonly can also appear as a pink to red bump.
Reviewed by: Allan C. Halpern, MD Ashfaq A. Want to spread the word about skin cancer awareness? In its early stages, melanoma is a treatable condition. But the cancer must be identified and treated swiftly.
If you ever see a new mole or a suspicious mark on your skin, promptly have a dermatologist evaluate it. If a condition such as HIV has weakened your immune system, getting checked is especially important.
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