Reducing the risk

Melanoma, a skin cancer rising steadily in both men and women, can affect anyone from various ages and ethnicities. Although it is more common in lighter-skinned individuals, melanoma can present itself anywhere on the skin, even in places that aren’t typically exposed to sunlight.

Dr. Christopher Snead with the Christus Schumpert Cancer Treatment Center said it is estimated that in 2012, melanoma was diagnosed in more than 75,000 cases and responsible for nearly 10,000 deaths in the United States.

“Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer,” Snead said. “It is estimated that one’s risk of developing melanoma in his or her lifetime is around one in 50.”

As one of the most serious forms of skin cancer, melanoma comes from cells within the body’s skin and can surface virtually anywhere.

“Melanoma arises from a cancerous transformation of the melanocytes, which are specialized cells located throughout the skin,” Snead said. “It can occur anywhere on the skin, even under the ngernails and on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands.”

Prolonged exposure to sunlight and UV rays from tanning beds are obvious risk factors in developing melanoma, but other elements play a part as well.

“There are many factors that can increase risk of developing melanoma,” Snead said. “A family history of melanoma may be associated with a rare genetic predisposition to [the cancer]. Most cases of melanoma occur sporadically.”

Other factors can include any previous history of melanoma and even sunburns experienced during childhood and adolescence.

Early detection and regular screenings are crucial in survival rates for melanoma. Snead points out that early stages of the cancer have the highest rates for cure with survival rates in excess of 90 percent.

“Melanomas, which are super cial lesions, may be classi ed as Stage I melanoma,” he said. “Stage I melanomas are very super cial lesions with less than 1 to 2 millimeters in thickness.

“Stage II melanomas may be a little thicker or have ulcerations present,” Snead said. “Stage III melanomas will have lymph node involvement, and survival rates may be only 50 percent at ve years. Stage IV melanomas have spread to other areas of the body, and long-term survival may be only 10 percent or less. The key to surviving melanoma is diagnosing it at an early stage.”

Because melanoma can be dif cult to recognize, it’s important to have a physician do a full body check. They can sometimes use an “ABCDE” method.

“A” is for asymmetry – if the mole does not have a mirror image of each side, it is more likely to be cancerous; “B” is for irregular, jagged edges which also attribute to melanomas; “C” factors in the color – darker, mottled-appearing moles; “D” is the diameter or size of the mole; and E is if the moles are evolving or changing in appearance.

Treatment for melanoma can depend on the stage in which it is diagnosed. Early detection might mean only surgery, but the more progressive the cancer, the more risk and complication is involved in treating it.

“Early stage melanomas may only need surgery to remove the melanoma,” Snead said. “If there has been spread to lymph nodes, an oncologist can discuss treatment options with you. This could include more surgery, radiation or medicines used to stimulate the immune system to try to kill any melanoma cells, which may be hiding elsewhere in your body. Unfortunately, the treatments we use to treat patients with melanoma which has spread to the lymph nodes has never been proven to impact survival.

“Research is still focused on this type of melanoma and what we can do to prevent melanoma from coming back later in life,” he said. “If melanoma recurs, it usually recurs in other parts of the body such as the lungs, liver, bone or brain. There have been several new treatments approved in the past few years, which has improved survival of patients with recurrent melanoma. Unfortunately, the number of treatments for melanoma which recurs typically only works for a while.”

For the most part, Snead said melanoma is a preventable cancer. Taking precaution with sunlight exposure and avoiding tanning beds may help decrease some risk. It is important to note, however, that melanoma is increasing in incidence, and the likelihood of a person developing it has also been rising at an alarming rate.

“No other cancer is increasing as rapidly as melanoma rates in men, and only lung cancer is increasing at a faster rate in women,” he said. “Tanning beds and exposure to sunlight and UV light are de nitely contributing factors.”

– Katie Ho