Home » Types of skin cancer » Melanoma Skin Cancer Melanoma Skin Cancer is the most serious form of skin cancer. But the main positive thing about this kind of cancer is that, if it is recognized and treated early then it can be completely cured. But if it is not treated and diagnosed in time, then this form of skin cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body. Then it becomes hard for the doctors to treat the disease and can be fatal for the patient too. This from of skin cancer is the most dangerous as because it is not the most common form of the skin cancers and tough for the doctors to diagnose the disease. That's why it causes the most number of deaths. The American Cancer Society has made an estimation that in 2007, there were almost 8,100 deaths among which 5,200 were men and 2,800 were women in the U.S. Melanoma is a malignant form of tumor which originates in melanocytes. In this case the cells produce the pigment melanin that stains our skin, hair, and eyes. The major number of melanomas are black or brown while the other melanomas are skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white.

There are several reasons for which an individual can get affected by Melanoma Skin Cancer. Those reason are as follows:

• Moles: There are two kinds of moles: normal moles which are small brown blemishes, growths, or beauty marks and atypical moles, also known as dysplastic nevi. No matter what the types are but more number of moles you will have, you are at a greater your risk of getting affected by melanoma.

• Skin Type: The people having fairer skin are at increased risk in the infection of Melanoma skin cancer.

• Exposure to sun rays: Both UVA and UVB rays are dangerous to the skin, and can enhance the possibility of getting melanoma skin cancer. The sunburns which are of blistering type in the early childhood are at an increasing risk of this type of skin cancer but cumulative exposure also is a major factor for skin cancer. People who are the residents of locations having more sunlight such as Hawaii, Florida and Australia are at a higher possibility of getting skin cancer.

• Family History: After diagnosis it has been observed that in every ten patients one has been affected by this Melanoma skin cancer. And that person has the family record of melanoma infection. Each person who has been diagnosed with melanoma at the initial stage is at a 50 percent greater chance of developing the disease in comparison to the people who do not have the same family history.

• Weakened Immune System: The weakened immune systems is generally caused due to chemotherapy or organ transplant or excessive sun exposure and diseases such as HIV/AIDS or lymphoma. These aspects increase the possibility of getting Melanoma skin cancer more.

When a person gets to know about this disease at the early stages of the disease then he can obviously expect the cure with sensible and careful treatment. Most of the people who are having thin and localized melanomas, can be cured by taking appropriate surgical measures. The method of early detection is still the the best possible way for fighting against Melanoma skin cancer. Modern day research has produced higher level of understanding about melanoma skin cancer which is leading to the creation of new drugs.