May is Melanoma / Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

Introduction

Melanoma is the most serious cancer of the skin, affecting cells that produce and transport the pigment melanin – the substance that gives skin its color. In 2009, an estimated 68,720 new cases will be diagnosed with melanoma and an estimated 8,650 deaths from melanoma.

Melanoma is a common cancer in light-skinned individuals; African Americans are less likely to develop the disease. If caught in its early stages, and with treatment, more than 75 percent of patients with melanoma survive at least five years after diagnosis.

In an effort to increase public awareness about melanoma, UPMC Cancer Centers joins other organizations nationwide to promote National Melanoma / Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in May. UPMC developed these pages as a resource for learning more about melanoma and other skin cancers. UPMC Cancer Centers offers monthly free skin cancer screenings on the third friday of every month at the Hillman Cancer Center.

Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor. Though the precise cause of melanoma is unknown, the following risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing skin cancer:

• Skin color – Individuals with light-colored eyes and skin are at a higher risk than those with brown eyes and naturally darker skin.
• History of sunburns – A history of severe blistering sunburns, particularly during childhood and teenage years, is a recurring theme among those diagnosed.
• Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation – Excessive tanning bed exposure and sunbathing puts the skin at higher risk.
• Moles – An increased presence of moles or the presence of dysplastic or other atypical moles may be a warning sign of higher risk.
• Suppressed immune systems – Certain states of immunosuppression, (e.g., that of renal transplant patients and those with Hodgkin's Disease) make one more vulnerable to the risk of developing melanoma.
• Previous melanoma – Personal or family history of melanoma gives you a genetic predisposition for developing the disease.

Melanoma facts

• Cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers. Melanoma accounts for about four percent of skin cancer cases, but causes about 79 percent of skin cancer deaths.
• Melanoma is a more serious type of cancer than the more common skin cancers, basal cell cancer or squamous cell cancer.
• Melanoma can spread (metastasize) quickly to other parts of the body through the lymph or circulatory systems.
• Warning signs of melanoma: change in the size, shape, or color of a mole; oozing or bleeding from a mole; a mole that feels itchy, hard, lumpy, swollen, or tender to the touch; the pigmented area of a mole doesn't look normal.

Sources: American Cancer Society; National Cancer Institute

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