Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. It can form in anywhere on your skin, including nail beds, the soles of your feet, and the scalp. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are more common, but usually less serious types of skin cancer.
The team of cancer experts at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute is highly skilled to provide comprehensive care to treat melanoma skin cancer.
What Is Melanoma Skin Cancer?
Melanoma develops in skin cells called melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, the pigment that gives the skin, eyes and hair their colors. Although melanoma is the rarest type of skin cancer, it’s also the most dangerous because it can spread quickly. Melanoma frequently develops from a mole or pigmented lesion.
Melanoma skin cancer is the leading cause of death from skin diseases. Knowing the signs and symptoms can help you find it in its early stages, when it is highly curable.
Four types of melanoma begin on the skin:
- Superficial spreading melanoma: The most common type of melanoma skin cancer. Accounts for 70 percent of melanomas. Superficial spreading melanoma usually develops from an existing mole.
- Lentigo maligna melanoma: Tends to occur in older people. It most commonly begins on the face, ears and arms in skin chronically exposed to the sun.
- Nodular melanoma: Accounts for about 15 percent of melanoma cases. It usually looks like a black bump on the skin (although it can also be pink or red in color) and appears rapidly.
- Acral lentiginous melanoma: This type of melanoma develops on palms, soles or under the nail bed. It is not related to sun exposure, and it commonly occurs on people with darker skin.
Signs and Symptoms of Melanoma Skin Cancer
Being aware of melanoma skin cancer risk factors and warning signs is crucial. More than 80 percent of all melanomas are detected by patients or their partners.
Cancerous Moles
Most melanomas are dark brown or black in color, but some may be pink or have a blue color. Bleeding can be a sign of a more advanced melanoma. Moles that change in size, color, border or shape, or begin to itch or sting can be warning signs of melanoma and should be carefully monitored by a physician.
The most common location for melanoma is on the trunk, arms and legs. By performing self-skin checks, you can help to find melanoma early, when it is highly curable.
Suspicious lesions may look different from other moles or spots. The ABCDE system can help you recognize signs of melanoma:
- Asymmetry: One half of the mole or spot is a different size or shape than the other. If you could fold the mole over on itself, the two halves would not be the same.
- Borders: Melanomas often have very irregular borders and can be ragged or notched.
- Color: A single mole or spot may have lighter or darker areas or multiple colors, such as pink, tan, brown or black—or even red, white or blue.
- Diameter: The spot is usually larger than 5 mm (¼ inch) in diameter—about the size of a pencil eraser. But melanomas can be even smaller when first detected.
- Evolution: Moles that change in size, color, border or shape—or begin to itch or bleed—can be warning signs of melanoma.
Moles that look different from other surrounding skin lesions are sometimes called “the ugly ducking sign.” If you find a growth that has any of these features, consult your health-care provider.
Skin Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Your dermatologist or physician may be able to examine a suspicious mole, spot, or area of the skin for melanoma, but melanoma can only be diagnosed with a biopsy. Once you are diagnosed with melanoma, your doctor may suggest additional tests to determine the overall stage of the melanoma. Imaging tests are used to find whether the cancer has spread.
Treatment for melanoma skin cancer often involves removing tissue, which may be possible during an office visit or may require surgery. In some cases, tissue removal will be enough, but other times a sentinel node biopsy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies or radiation may be required.
When melanoma is found in its early stages, it is usually very treatable with a simple surgery alone. More advanced cases become more difficult to treat. Our surgeons and oncologists are experts in treating even the most complex melanoma cases and have more options available to you than ever before.
Some patients seeking treatment for melanoma may be eligible for current clinical trials. Learn more about our clinical trials.
Other Types of Skin Cancer We Treat
Our melanoma team also diagnoses and treats people with common skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Other, rarer types of skin cancer we treat include:
- Apocrine carcinoma: Cancer that develops in a sweat gland
- Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma: Cancer that grows in the middle layer of skin (the dermis) or deepest (subcutaneous) layer
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: Cancer that forms in connective tissue cells in the dermis
- Merkel cell carcinoma: Cancer that develops near nerve endings in the top layer of skin (the epidermis)
- Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: Cancer that tends to grow in sweat glands in the head or neck
- Sebaceous carcinoma: Cancer that begins in oil glands in the skin
Request an Appointment for Melanoma Care
To make an appointment at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, call 717-544-9400 or request an appointment using our online form.