What Is Melanoma?

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer.   However, if it is recognized and treated early, it is nearly 100 percent curable.  But if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal.   While it is not the most common of the skin cancers, it causes the most deaths.  The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009, there will be 8,420 fatalities, 5,220 in men and 2,800 in women in the U.S. The number of new cases of melanoma is estimated at 59,940; of these, 33,910 will be in men and 26,030 in women. 

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates in melanocytes, the cells which produce the pigment melanin that colors our skin, hair, and eyes. The majority of melanomas are black or brown. However, some melanomas are skin-colored, pink, red, purple, blue or white.    

About Melanoma Research Foundation

The Melanoma Research Foundation is the largest private, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States.  The Foundation is committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma.  The Foundation also educates patients and physicians about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma, while acting as an advocate for the melanoma community to raise awareness of this disease and the need for a cure.  The MRF Web site is the premiere source for melanoma information seekers.  More information is available at www.melanoma.org.

"Just Diagnosed With Melanoma? Now What?"

If you are reading this, you have undergone a biopsy (either of a skin lesion or a lymph node) or have had other tests in which the diagnosis of melanoma is suspected or confirmed.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that occurs in the cells that color the skin and make moles (melanocytes).  Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer because it can spread to lymph nodes or a distant site. 

Of all the various skin cancers, melanoma is known to be the most deadly if not caught in its earliest phases.  Approximately 59,940 people will be diagnosed with invasive melanoma and 8,420 will die this year from melanoma. 

So what do you do if you have just been diagnosed with melanoma ?

First, take a breath and read the attached...

Finally...

This is not an all-inclusive method for determining YOUR stage of melanoma or the right treatment. However, this information can be helpful for the newly diagnosed (now what?) patient. The hope is that by giving the overwhelmed and frightened melanoma patient an approach to finding information about their disease and treatment options, they will become an empowered and active participant in their diagnosis and treatment.

IT'S A FACT

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
• Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer.
• Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States and worldwide.
• Every hour a person dies from Melanoma.
• Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, including eyes, scalp, hands and feet.
• Melanoma is most common in men over the age of 50, more common than colon, prostate and lung cancer.
• In all persons age 15-29, melanoma is the second most common cancer.
• Today 1 in 60 people will develop Melanoma. There will be 59,940 new cases of invasive Melanoma this year and 8,420 people will die from Melanoma.
• Melanoma can affect anyone, no matter their age, sex, or race.
• The majority of Melanoma is caused by exposure to UV light and sunlight.
• Just one blistering sunburn can double a person's chance of developing Melanoma later in life.
• Exposure to tanning beds before the age of 35 increases a person's risk of developing Melanoma by 75%, and occasional use of tanning beds can triple their chance.
• Unlike all other cancers, Melanoma is visible on the skin, making it easier to detect in the early years.
• Most Melanoma is curable  in the early stages with an over 90% survival rate.