Almost every person on the body has moles, in greater or lesser amounts. And some of them can go into such a serious illness as melanoma. Symptoms in which melanoma can be suspected: a change in the size, color and shape of the mole, burning and itching, bleeding or peeling. If an ordinary mole is completely harmless, then melanoma is a formidable disease that develops rapidly.
Everyone has a risk of melanoma, but women are most exposed to it, especially during menopause, and people who are too often in the open sun. It is necessary to distinguish where the mole is and where the melanoma is. Its symptoms are as follows: asymmetry of forms, borders (uneven and blurry borders can indicate melanoma), color (transitions from one color to another can also indicate the development of a cancerous tumor).
If melanoma begins to develop, the symptoms pointing to it can be as follows: large diameter (0.6 cm and above), sores, itching. The most dangerous are those moles that are located in the obviously traumatic zone: on the feet, palms, hands, they must be removed first. Previously it was believed that moles should not be removed, supposedly it is life threatening. It has long been proven that this is not true. At an early stage, this tumor may well be removed surgically, and this leads to a complete recovery.
There are certain factors that contribute to the development of melanoma. This is an injury (rubbing, cuts or removal at home), sunburn, as well as hormonal abnormalities. What does melanoma look like? Symptoms, as a rule, are as follows: dark color, smooth, slightly shiny surface, bleeding. If one of them appears, you should immediately consult a doctor. If the mole is removed by a specialist, and there were no cancer cells in it that had already spread metastases, a complete cure is guaranteed.
If the mole began to increase in size, darkened or sharply brightened, redness and peeling formed around it - this may be melanoma. Metastases can already go further inward and wide, so you need to immediately seek help from an oncologist. A timely examination can save your life, do not delay with going to the doctor, the process may become irreversible.
Endocrine effects can also give rise to melanoma, especially at-risk adolescents, as well as women during pregnancy and menopause. Fortunately, this disease gives warning signals by which it can be identified and in time to seek advice to make sure that it is really melanoma. The stages of its development are as follows:
Stage 1: the disease is localized only at the site of the primary tumor.
Stage 2: melanoma increases, but still remains in its original place.
Stage 3: local spread of the tumor.
Stage 4: spread to other, fairly distant organs.
The doctor determines the size of the spread of the tumor according to the thickness of Breslow (penetration depth) and Clark's level (the number of layers of the epidermis). In the early stages, surgical removal of the mole is sufficient. At later, in addition to removal, chemotherapy is used, as well as often radiation therapy.
There are three main types of these tumors: malignant lentigo, melanoma superficially spreading and active. The first is mainly localized in the region of the head and neck, the second can appear on the hips and lower legs, the third, nodular melanoma, most often occurs at the age of about 50 years and is characterized by vertical growth. She is considered the most unfavorable of all. In any case, with the appearance of primary signs, you should contact a specialist for the correct diagnosis and further treatment.