Melanoma Research Paper
Melanoma is a type of cancer that is diagnosed in many different forms such as; cutaneous melanoma, ocular melanoma, mucosal melanoma, and metastatic melanoma. Ocular melanoma is a very rare type of melanoma found in the eye, which is also referred to as uveal melanoma and choroidal melanoma. Mucosal melanoma occurs in the mouth, throat, anus, vagina, and nasal passages. Mucosal is found in mucous membranes throughout our body. Metastatic melanoma is melanoma that has spread and is most commonly known as stage IV melanoma. The most common type of melanoma is cutaneous melanoma, which is cancer of the skin. Melanoma can be diagnosed by looking at the skin, determining if it looks unusual, and then having one of three types of biopsy done. The three types of biopsy that can be done are incisional, excisional, and
…show more content…
punch. Incisional is where a small portion of the abnormality is removed to determine if the abnormality is cancerous or not. Excisional is where the whole abnormality is removed. Punch is where the area of skin and the underlining of tissue are removed. The symptoms of melanoma are typically a change in an existing mole, a new pigmented or unusual growth on your skin, sores that will not heal, pigment change, redness, swelling that is outside the border of the surrounding skin, itching, tenderness, pain, changes in the texture of the mole, scales, oozing, and bleeding from the mole.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it is best to contact a dermatologist and have a biopsy done. Always make sure that your moles follow ABCD. ABCD is A – asymmetry, B- border, C- color, and D-diameter. Melanoma is located anywhere on your skin, but is usually located on skin that has been exposed to sun or UV radiation. The most common is arms, legs, back, and face. The soles of the feet, palm of hands, and finger nail beds may develop it on rare occasions, but is more typical in people with a darker skin tone. There are several types as mentioned in my introduction. Melanoma only has two levels of severity. It can be either easily treated or it has reached stage IV. Easily treated means it is condensed into one area and has not yet spread. Stage IV is once the melanoma has spread and reached the point of
deadly. The causes of melanoma are not yet determined, but most doctors and scientist believe it is caused by the environment and genetics. The causes more specifically are UV radiation exposure, such as the sun and tanning beds. Melanoma is caused when something affects change in the melanin producing cells throughout the body. Those melanin cells are what gives color to your skin, which is why melanoma affects the skin most specifically. How you can prevent melanoma is simple and can be easily added to your everyday routine. First ,always apply sunscreen before you put your skin in contact with direct sunlight. Wear protective clothing before going outside for long periods of time. Avoid Midday sun exposure, tanning beds, and tanning lamps. Lastly, become familiar with your skin this can help determine whether you catch it before it reaches stage IV. If you notice and questionable changes in your skin even if it seems like nothing report it to your dermatologist. Treatments for melanoma depend on the case. If your melanoma is in the early stage and has not spread you can have it removed surgically. Typically, the biopsy removes all of the cancer and diminishes the need for radiation treatments. If the Melanoma has spread, your options may be surgery to remove affected lymph nodes, chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy, or targeted therapy. The chances of these treatments helping once the cancer has spread are very slim. In the United States every year, approximately 76,380 people will be diagnosed with melanoma. About 29,510 of these cases will be in women and 46,870 will be diagnosed in men. Approximately 10,130 people are expected to die from melanoma 3,380 women and 6,750 men. Survival rate of five years is less than 5 percent. Melanoma is twenty times more common in whites than African Americans. Melanoma is twenty times more common in whites than African Americans. The risk of getting melanoma in your lifetime is 2.4% a 1 in 40 chance for whites, 0.1% a 1 in 1000 chance for African Americans, and 0.5% a 1 in 200 chance for Hispanics.
punch. Incisional is where a small portion of the abnormality is removed to determine if the abnormality is cancerous or not. Excisional is where the whole abnormality is removed. Punch is where the area of skin and the underlining of tissue are removed. The symptoms of melanoma are typically a change in an existing mole, a new pigmented or unusual growth on your skin, sores that will not heal, pigment change, redness, swelling that is outside the border of the surrounding skin, itching, tenderness, pain, changes in the texture of the mole, scales, oozing, and bleeding from the mole.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it is best to contact a dermatologist and have a biopsy done. Always make sure that your moles follow ABCD. ABCD is A – asymmetry, B- border, C- color, and D-diameter. Melanoma is located anywhere on your skin, but is usually located on skin that has been exposed to sun or UV radiation. The most common is arms, legs, back, and face. The soles of the feet, palm of hands, and finger nail beds may develop it on rare occasions, but is more typical in people with a darker skin tone. There are several types as mentioned in my introduction. Melanoma only has two levels of severity. It can be either easily treated or it has reached stage IV. Easily treated means it is condensed into one area and has not yet spread. Stage IV is once the melanoma has spread and reached the point of
deadly. The causes of melanoma are not yet determined, but most doctors and scientist believe it is caused by the environment and genetics. The causes more specifically are UV radiation exposure, such as the sun and tanning beds. Melanoma is caused when something affects change in the melanin producing cells throughout the body. Those melanin cells are what gives color to your skin, which is why melanoma affects the skin most specifically. How you can prevent melanoma is simple and can be easily added to your everyday routine. First ,always apply sunscreen before you put your skin in contact with direct sunlight. Wear protective clothing before going outside for long periods of time. Avoid Midday sun exposure, tanning beds, and tanning lamps. Lastly, become familiar with your skin this can help determine whether you catch it before it reaches stage IV. If you notice and questionable changes in your skin even if it seems like nothing report it to your dermatologist. Treatments for melanoma depend on the case. If your melanoma is in the early stage and has not spread you can have it removed surgically. Typically, the biopsy removes all of the cancer and diminishes the need for radiation treatments. If the Melanoma has spread, your options may be surgery to remove affected lymph nodes, chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy, or targeted therapy. The chances of these treatments helping once the cancer has spread are very slim. In the United States every year, approximately 76,380 people will be diagnosed with melanoma. About 29,510 of these cases will be in women and 46,870 will be diagnosed in men. Approximately 10,130 people are expected to die from melanoma 3,380 women and 6,750 men. Survival rate of five years is less than 5 percent. Melanoma is twenty times more common in whites than African Americans. Melanoma is twenty times more common in whites than African Americans. The risk of getting melanoma in your lifetime is 2.4% a 1 in 40 chance for whites, 0.1% a 1 in 1000 chance for African Americans, and 0.5% a 1 in 200 chance for Hispanics.