Melanoma cancer: symptoms, causes & treatment

Definition

What is melanoma cancer?

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. This condition arises because of a disturbance in the cells that produce melanin (the pigment that gives skin color) or melanocytes.

Most melanomas look like new moles. However, some cases also develop from existing moles.

Melanoma is a condition that starts in a mole, spreads around it and then gets deeper into the skin, into blood vessels, lymph nodes, and finally to the liver, lungs, and bones.

In men, melanoma usually affects the chest and back more often. Whereas in women the parts most often affected are the legs, neck and face.

In addition, melanoma can develop in hidden areas or that are not exposed to sunlight at all. The area of ​​the body in question is the space between the toes and palms, scalp, and genitals.

This disease can also appear in the eye area, and most commonly occurs in the lower layer of the white membrane of the eye.

How many types of melanoma cancer are there?

Melanoma cancer consists of four types or types, namely:

Superficial spreading melanoma

This condition is among the most common. Usually most often appear on the trunk or limbs. Cancer cells tend to grow along the top surface of the skin for some time before finally starting to grow into deeper layers of the skin.

Nodular melanoma

This condition is the second most common type that occurs most frequently. This type of skin cancer generally appears on the trunk, such as the head or neck.

This type tends to grow faster than other types. Usually black, but can also appear red, pink, or resemble your skin tone.

Lentigo maligna melanoma

This type tends to occur less frequently. Usually this type of skin cancer attacks older people, especially in the parts of the body that have the most sun exposure.

Generally, this condition begins with the appearance of blemishes on the skin. The cancer will then grow slowly before finally starting to grow into deeper layers of the skin.

Acral lentiginous melanoma

This type is one of the rarest. It generally appears on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or under the nails. Usually this type of melanoma cancer most often attacks people with dark skin. In addition, this condition has nothing to do with sun exposure.

How common is melanoma cancer?

Melanoma is a condition that is more common in people under 40 years of age, especially women.

Compared to other skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma is less common. However, this disease is even more dangerous because it tends to spread to other parts of the body.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of melanoma cancer?

The signs and symptoms of skin cancer are not always the same, depending on the type. Melanoma cancer most often develops in sun-exposed areas of the body such as the back, legs, arms and face.

However, it can also attack the parts that are least exposed to the sun, such as the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and nails.

To recognize its appearance, here are various symptoms of melanoma cancer, namely:

• An unusual shape of a mole.
• The mole gets bigger.
• Change in color of moles.
• The appearance of pigments or unusual blemishes on the skin.
• The mole feels sore and doesn't go away.
• Experiencing redness or swelling beyond the boundaries of the mole.
• Broken and bleeding mole.
• Mole that feels itchy and painful when pressed.
• Swollen glands.
• Hard to breathe.
• Bone pain (when melanoma spreads to the bone).

On the other hand, melanoma does not always appear like a normal mole. Normal moles are generally brown or black with clearly defined borders. They tend to be oval or round in shape and measure about 6 millimeters (mm) in size.

Sometimes there are moles that are not like normal and are a sign of this cancer. For simplicity's sake, here are the ABCDE guidelines for detecting signs and symptoms of melanoma:

• A or asymmetrical, meaning moles are irregular in shape.
• B or irregular border, meaning that the boundaries are irregular can be grooved or jagged.
• C or changes in color, meaning that there is a change in color or a different color in some new moles that appear.
• D or diameter, meaning that the growth is more than 6 mm.
• E or evolving, meaning that the mole continues to change from time to time both in size, color, to shape.

The appearance of cancerous (malignant) moles varies widely. Some may exhibit all of the changes listed above, while others may only have one or two unusual characteristics.

If you have any concerns regarding the symptoms, please consult a doctor.

When should you go to the doctor?

You should see a doctor immediately if:

• A mole that spreads and turns black.
• The color of the mole or black spot on the skin turns red or the black skin around the black dot turns brown.
• Moles burst, bleed, or become ulcers.

Everyone's body reacts differently. It is better to discuss it with your doctor if you are concerned about the appearance of blemishes or pigments on the skin that are suspected of being cancer.

Cause

What causes melanoma cancer?

The causes of skin cancer vary by type. However, there is no definite cause for melanoma cancer. However, genetic mutations and solar radiation are strongly suspected to be the main causes.

These cancers can be caused by changes in DNA that turn on oncogens (genes that help cells grow and divide) or turn off tumor suppressor genes.

In addition, excess sun exposure can damage the DNA in skin cells. Sometimes this damage affects certain genes that control how skin cells are supposed to grow and divide. If these genes no longer function properly, the affected cells can turn into cancer cells.

Risk factors

What puts me at risk for melanoma cancer?

Certain factors can increase the risk of developing melanoma, namely:

• Never had severe burns.
• Frequent exposure to ultraviolet rays.
• White skin.
• Many moles on the body
• Freckles (brown spots on the skin).
• Family history of having melanoma.
• Weak immune system.
• The condition xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare condition that makes skin cells unable to repair DNA damage.

Not having the risk factors above, does not mean you are unlikely to get the disease. These factors are for reference only. We recommend that you consult your doctor for more details.

Diagnosis & Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the tests that are usually done to diagnose melanoma cancer?

The following are various tests carried out to diagnose the presence of this one skin cancer, namely:

• Physical examination taking into account the shape, size and color of the mole.
• Questions about family medical history.
• Skin biopsy, taking skin samples from the suspected mole area to be examined in the laboratory.
• Lymph node biopsy.
• X-ray imaging tests, CT scans, MRI scans, or PET scans (using radioactive).
• Blood test.

What are the treatment options for melanoma cancer?

In general, treatment for skin cancer is done by means of surgery. However, melanoma type skin cancer has various treatment options that can be adjusted according to health conditions, including:

Early stage melanoma

For the initial stage, doctors can perform surgery to remove skin cancer and some of the surrounding area. How much skin is removed depends on how deep the melanoma has grown.

For very thin melanomas, usually a biopsy procedure can remove the disease and does not require further treatment.

Melanoma that has spread

If the cancer has spread, the recommended treatment options are:

Operation

Surgery or surgery is the main treatment for most cases of melanoma. If done in the early stages, surgery can help cure the disease.

But apart from that, surgery will also be performed when the cancer has spread to the surrounding lymph nodes. The doctor will remove the affected gland to help cure the disease.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of treatment that aims to destroy cancer cells using drugs. Usually a combination of drugs will be given intravenously (infusion) or taken directly.

Radiation therapy

This therapy is done by using high-power rays such as X rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is usually recommended after surgical removal of lymph nodes.

In addition, therapy is also used to help relieve symptoms of cancer that has spread to other areas of the body. Radiation therapy has various side effects such as:

• Skin like burning.
• Skin discoloration.
• Hair loss.
• Fatigue.
• Nausea, especially if radiation is applied to the stomach.

Biological therapy

This therapy aims to increase the immune system so that the body is able to fight cancer. This therapy uses artificial substances that are similar to those produced by the body.

The side effects that are felt from this treatment are chills, fatigue, fever, headaches, and muscle aches.

Targeted therapy

This therapy is performed using drugs designed to target cancer-causing cells and proteins. Later, the drug helps slow down tumor growth. That way, the patient's quality of life will improve.

The various side effects that usually arise from this therapy vary depending on the drug used. The most common side effects that will arise are:

• Thickening of the skin.
• Rash.
• Sensitive to sunlight.
• Nausea.

Home remedies

What are the lifestyle changes or home remedies for melanoma cancer?

Here are lifestyle and home remedies that can help treat melanoma:

• Don't bask in the sun during the day.
• Do not smoke.
• Eat a nutritionally balanced diet.
• Stay active and exercise according to your ability.
• Maintain ideal body weight.
• Avoid stress with various relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation.
• Join a support group, such as a gathering for people with melanoma, so you don't feel alone.

Prevention

How do you prevent melanoma cancer?

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are various ways you can prevent melanoma skin cancer, namely:

• Avoiding excessive sun exposure during the day.
• Use sunscreen or sunblock when doing outdoor activities with an SPF of at least 30.
• Wear closed clothing when outdoors plus sunglasses and a hat for all-around protection.
• Abstain from various things that can weaken the immune system, for example avoiding HIV by not having free sex.
• Check the skin regularly and get checked out immediately when there is an unusual change.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.