Melanoma (pronounced /ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/ melanoma (help·info)) is a malignant tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). It is one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths. Malignant melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer. It is due to uncontrolled growth of pigment cells, called melanocytes.^[1][2] Despite many years of intensive laboratory and clinical research, the sole effective cure is surgical resection of the primary tumor before it achieves a Breslow thickness greater than 1 mm.

Around 160,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide each year, and it is more frequent in males and caucasians.^[3] It is more common in caucasian populations living in sunny climates than in other groups.^[4] According to a WHO Report about 48,000 melanoma related deaths occur worldwide per year.^[5]

Malignant melanoma accounts for 75 percent of all deaths associated with skin cancer.^[6]

The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor; adjuvant treatment; chemo- and immunotherapy, or radiation therapy.

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 2007, there will be 8,110 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.  

Consider these excerpts from the book "Saving Your Skin" by Dr. Barney Kenet and Patricia Lawler. This book was published in 1994. You can find out more about this book on-line at amazon.com.

The Statistics of Melanoma

Today there are 300,000 people in the United States who have had or are now afflicted with melanoma. Consider these statistics:

Melanoma is the most frequent cancer among women aged 25 to 29, and the second most frequent (after breast cancer ) among women aged 30 to 34.

In 1993, approximately 32,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma and 6,800 will die of it.

Melanoma is now the seventh most common type of cancer in the U.S., and may become as common as colon cancer (presently the third most common malignancy) if steps are not taken to control it.

The death rate from melanoma has tripled in the past four decades.

Twenty-five percent of melanoma cases occur in people 39 years old or younger.

Although the United States' population increased ten percent from 1980 to 1987, the number of melanomas increased 83 percent.

Researchers at the New York University Melanoma Cooperative Group report that the lifetime risk of contracting melanoma in 1980 was one in 250; by the year 2000 the risk is predicted to climb to one in 75. Compare that with 1935, when the lifetime risk of melanoma was only one in 1,500. The N.Y.U. group further documents dramatic increases in melanoma in particular parts of the country. For example, there was a 340 percent increase in risk between 1969 and 1978 for Caucasians living in southern Arizona. While other types of cancer - such as breast, lung, and prostate cancer - occur with greater frequency, melanoma demands close attention. It strikes and kills young to middle-aged people. On average, for each death from melanoma, more than 17 years of potential life before age 65 are lost.

To help reduce rising rates of skin cancer from overexposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day, May 22, 2009, as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors. The action step the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention is emphasizing for 2009 is “Slap on a Hat,” encouraging everyone to wear protective clothing like a wide-brimmed hat to provide important protection from too much sun.

As warm weather approaches and millions of Americans prepare to enjoy the great outdoors, the risk for ultraviolet (UV) damage of the skin increases. Skin cancer is on the rise in the United States, and the American Cancer Society estimates that one American dies every hour from skin cancer. It is estimated that this year 62,480 cases of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, and more than one million cases of basal cell or squamous skin cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.

Fortunately, skin cancer is highly curable if detected in its early stages. An easy way to remember sun safety awareness is to Slip! Slop! Slap!...and Wrap — slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses. The best way to detect skin cancer early is to examine your skin regularly and recognize changes in moles and skin growths.

Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation. A tanned appearance has become a sign of a good look and good health, fueling the increasing trends of sunbathing and tanning beds among young adults and women. However, using a sunless self-tanning product and continuing to apply sunscreen can help greatly reduce skin cancer risk. Individuals with lighter-toned skin are more susceptible to UV damage, although people of all races and ethnicities can be at risk for skin cancer. Those who have a family history of skin cancer, plenty of moles or freckles, or a history of severe sunburns early in life are at a higher risk of skin cancer as well. To minimize the harmful effects of excessive and unprotected sun exposure, protection from intense UV radiation should be a life-long practice for everyone.

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention is the united voice of 45 groups dedicated to reducing skin cancer morbidity and mortality in the United States. Council members represent some of the nation’s premier researchers, clinicians and advocates for melanoma and skin cancer prevention.