One of the most serious forms of skin cancer is melanoma. This disease develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin known as melanocytes. Reading up on prevention, symptoms, and treatment methods for melanoma can help you to be aware of the condition and take appropriate measures to reduce your risk for it or avail timely treatment.

Melanoma: Prevention, Symptoms, and Treatment

Prevention

Knowing how to prevent the condition is probably the most essential, although definitively doing so is not an option. Since melanoma mostly occurs on the areas of the body most exposed to harmful UV radiation, the following preventive measures can be useful:

• Avoiding tanning beds
• Using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30
• Using sunscreen throughout the year even when it is cloudy
• Limiting outdoor activities between 10 am – 4 pm when the radiation from the sun is the strongest
• Wearing a hat, sunglasses and long-sleeved clothing when outdoors
• Going for regular skin cancer screenings especially if you are at high risk for the condition as this will help to detect melanoma and other types of skin cancer in the early stages.

Symptoms
Moles usually have a specific border, color and are about 6 mm in size. Hence, using the ABCDE method helps to detect the signs of melanoma.

• A – asymmetrical shape – moles with an irregular shape
• B – border – moles with irregular or scalloped borders
• C – color – moles are mostly tan, grey or black. If they have many colors or uneven distribution of color it is a cause for concern.
• D – diameter – more than 6 mm in size
• E – evolving – moles that change in color, shape or size

Also, if existing moles become itchy or start to bleed you should consult your doctor.

Treatment
Treatment depends on the size, stage of cancer, the overall health of the patient and the patient’s preferences.

Small melanomas:  Early-stage melanomas which are very thin can be removed during the biopsy. Also, through surgery, the cancer and a layer of normal tissue below the skin can be removed.

Large melanomas: If the cancer has spread beyond the skin the following treatment options may be used.

• Surgery to remove the affected lymph nodes. Other treatment options such as immunotherapy or radiation may be suggested before or after the surgery.
• Immunotherapy to boost the immune system to help fight the cancer.
• Targeted therapy is the use of drugs that help to eliminate cancer cells specifically.
• Radiation therapy in which high-powered energy rays such as protons or X-rays are used to destroy cancer cells. It is used to treat melanomas that cannot be completely removed by surgery.
• In chemotherapy, drugs are administered intravenously or in the form of a pill to destroy cancer cells.