A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that the sooner melanoma patients were treated, the better their survival, particularly for stage I melanoma patients.
Compared to other Stage I melanoma patients who were treated within 30 days, patients were:
- five percent more likely to die when treated between 30 and 59 days;
- 16 percent more likely to die when treated between 60 and 89 days;
- 29 percent more likely to die when treated between 91 and 120 days;
- 41 percent more likely to die when treated after 120 days.
Because many melanomas develop on the skin where they can be seen, there is a good chance of catching them early. Regular examination of the skin for any new or unusual growths, or changes in existing moles, is critical. If you find anything suspicious, you should discuss it with your primary care physician, a dermatologist (skin doctor) or a health care professional qualified to diagnose melanoma.
Most moles are harmless. A normal mole is generally colored evenly (brown, black or tan), and are less than 6 mm in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser). They can be flat or raised, and generally do not change over time.
Signs of melanoma include new spots on the skin, or a change in size, shape or color of an existing mole. The ABCDE method may help you determine if an abnormal skin growth may be melanoma:
- Asymmetry: The mole has an irregular shape.
- Border: The edge is not smooth, but irregular or notched.
- Color: The mole has uneven shading or dark spots.
- Diameter: The spot is larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
- Evolving or Elevation: The spot is changing in size, shape or texture.
A Dermatopathologist examining a tissue specimen is the “Gold Standard” and the only proven method of diagnosing a skin cancer.
Other melanoma symptoms may include:
- Sores that do not heal
- Pigment, redness or swelling that spreads outside the border of a spot to the surrounding skin
- Itchiness, tenderness or pain
- Changes in texture, or scales, oozing or bleeding from an existing mole
- Blurry vision or partial loss of sight, or dark spots in the iris
Since cancer symptoms may vary—and not all melanomas develop from moles—it is important to discuss any new or unusual skin growths with your doctor.
While many melanomas develop in areas exposed to the sun, they may also develop in areas that are usually hidden from the sun. In addition to examining the legs, trunk, arms, face and neck, it is important to look at the areas between the toes, underneath fingernails and toenails, on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the genitals and even the eyes.
Melanoma Facts
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer
- Melanoma frequently develops in a mole or suddenly appears as a new dark spot on the skin.
- Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.
Melanoma Statistics
- One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 52 minutes).
- An estimated 76,380 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year.
- An estimated 10,130 people will die of melanoma this year.
- Melanoma accounts for less than one percent of skin cancer cases, but the vast majority of skin cancer deaths.
- Melanoma is one of only three cancers with an increasing mortality rate for men, along with liver cancer and esophageal cancer.
- The estimated 5-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 98 percent in the U.S. The survival rate falls to 63 percent when the disease reaches the lymph nodes, and 17 percent when the disease metastasizes to distant organs.
- On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns.
** Facts and statistics from skincancer.org
