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What Causes Malignant Melanoma ?

The awareness of skin cancer increases everyday as more is known about the disease and more exposure is given to preventing the disease on television and radio than ever before. It is thought to be the most common form of cancer in the United States and Australia alone.

Whilst this might be alarming, most forms of skin cancer are not life threatening and can be treated. The fact that most of the signs of the disease are on the surface of the skin means that they can be identified and treated early on with complete success.

However of the three types of skin cancer, malignant melanoma is potentially very serious and can be life threatening if not spotted early. This article will cover what is malignant melanoma , how it forms and how to prevent it.

It is generally accepted that any form of cancer is caused based on your genetic predisposition and your exposure to certain environmental conditions. When it comes to malignant melanoma, the environmental condition is thought to be exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB radiation). And the most common source of ultraviolet radiation that we are exposed to is the Sun (however things like sunbeds or tanning salons are just as bad if not worse ).

Too much ultraviolet radiation can mutate the DNA of a cell, making it cancerous. The genes in the DNA that cause this become known as oncogenes. Cells that have undergone this transformation do not die but divide and proliferate. They grow at an unregulated rate. As they continue to multiply their growth can become invasive.

This means they interfere with surrounding tissue or organs causing them to malfunction or be destroyed. If cancerous cells get into the bloodstream or lymphatic system, then they can spread to other parts of the body. This is known as metastasizing. When cancer spreads to the rest of the body it gets very difficult to treat.

Whilst the primary cause of malignant melanoma is exposure to sunlight there are a number of genetic factors that are thought to increase the chances of developing the disease.

If you have a family history of the disease then your chances are increased. If you have fair skin,freckles, fair or red hair and pale colored eyes then you are more at risk. If you have plenty of moles on your skin you may also be at risk (although some people that are born with moles on the skin are not thought to be as susceptible)

Typically, a brown spot or mark on the surface of the skin could be the first sign of a melanoma. If you already have moles on your body then it may be hard to differentiate between an ordinary mole and a melanoma. however, if the spot or mark starts to change in color or grow larger and in an irregular shape then you should see your doctor.

Prevent melanoma by limiting your exposure to sunlight and other things that will expose you to UV radiation. If you are in the Sun, wear a hat, clothe as much of the body as practical, sunglasses and sunscreen.