Melanoma
Melanoma (pronounced /ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/) 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] According to a report by the WHO, about 48,000 people die of melanoma every year.[3] Melanoma is prominent in New Zealand and Australia due to the hole in the ozone layer and the many beaches.
| Melanoma | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
 a melanoma | |
| ICD-10 | C43. |
| ICD-9 | 172.9 |
| ICD-O: | M8720/3 |
| OMIM | 155600 |
| DiseasesDB | 7947 |
| MedlinePlus | 000850 |
| eMedicine | derm/257 med/1386 ent/27 plastic/456 |
| MeSH | D008545 |
Melanoma that has metastasised (spread beyond the initial primary tumor) is treated with Dacarbizine or Interleukin-2, also known as Proleukin, in many cases. Interleukin-2 has a response rate of up to sixteen-percent.[4] Recent studies support the use of a new drug called Ipilimumab, which appears to prolong survival in metastatic melanoma patients.[5] Percutaneous liver perfusion with a chemotherapeutic agent known as melphalan can prolong progression free survival in patients with melanoma metastatic to the liver, although the majority of patients in this study had melanoma starting in the eye rather than the skin.[6]
Melanoma Media
Molecular basis for melanoma cell motility: actin-rich podosomes (yellow), along with cell nuclei (blue), actin (red), and an actin regulator (green)
ABCD rule illustration: On the left side from top to bottom: melanomas showing (A) Asymmetry, (B) a border that is uneven, ragged, or notched, (C) coloring of different shades of brown, black, or tan and (D) diameter that had changed in size. The normal moles on the right side do not have abnormal characteristics (no asymmetry, even border, even color, no change in diameter).
Various differential diagnoses of pigmented skin lesions, by relative rates upon biopsy and malignancy potential, including "melanoma" at right
Superficial spreading melanoma in situ on dermoscopy
Histopathology of superficial spreading melanoma
Photography of nodular melanoma
Histopathology of nodular melanoma
Photograph of lentigo maligna melanoma
Histopathology of lentigo maligna melanoma
References
- ↑ Melanoma Death Rate Still Climbing
- ↑ Cancer Stat Fact Sheets
- ↑ Lucas, Robyn; McMichael, Tony; Smith, Wayne; Armstrong, Bruce (2006). Solar Ultraviolet Radiation: Global burden of disease from solar ultraviolet radiation (PDF). Environmental Burden of Disease Series. Vol. 13. World Health Organization. ISBN 92-4-159440-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "(aldesleukin) - Metastatic Melanoma Clinical Data". Proleukin. Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
- ↑ "New Drug Extends Lives of Melanoma Patients". Webmd.com. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
- ↑ June 5, 2010 (2010-06-05). "Percutaneous hepatic perfusion with melphalan improved hepatic PFS in ocular, cutaneous melanoma". HemOncToday. Retrieved 2011-02-06.