Melanoma is a very serious form of cancer that occurs most often in the skin and less frequently in the eye or the lining of the nose, mouth, or genitals.

First Signs of Melanoma 

• A change in the size, shape, or color of an existing mole

• A new mole

• Men most commonly develop melanoma on the trunk, particularly the back.

• Women develop melanoma commonly on the legs or arms.

Risk and Prognosis 

This is based upon the presence or absence of certain characteristics in the original tumor and how far the tumor has spread through the body. Some of these characteristics include:

• Tumor depth (also called Breslow Depth)
• The presence or absence of ulceration
• The mitotic rate (how fast the cancer cells are dividing)
• Whether the tumor has spread into deeper tissues locally (the Clark Level)
• The number and extent of regional lymph nodes with melanoma
• If the melanoma has spread to distant sites within the body

Treatment and Survival 

• Treatments are available for all people with melanoma.

• Melanoma can quickly spread to other parts of the body, so it is important to detect and treat melanoma in its early stages

• When melanoma is detected and treated in its early stages, the chances for long-term, disease-free survival are excellent.

• Eighty-five percent of diagnosed patients enjoy long-term survival after simple tumor surgery [^1]

References: ¹J Am Acad Dermatol. 1996;35:1012-1013; 2. CA Cancer J Clin. 2008;58;71-96.