Malignant melanoma

 

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or "ugly looking."

 

 

Common symptoms are:

1. Asymmetry -- the shape of one half does not match the other

2. Border -- the edges are ragged, blurred, or irregular

3. Color -- the color is uneven and may include shades of black, brown, and tan

4. Diameter -- there is a change in size, usually an increase

5. Evolving -- the mole has changed over the past few weeks or months

 

 

1. Surgery is the first treatment of all stages of melanoma.

2. Other treatments include chemotherapy and radiation, biologic, and targeted therapies.