What Is Malignant Melanoma ?
The full extent to which skin cancer is affecting the population has prompted more research and more publicity on preventing the disease. It is thought that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and Australia and is increasing rapidly in many other countries.
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 there is one form of the disease that can be life threatening if not caught early on. This is malignant melanoma. This article will discuss what is malignant melanoma and ways to prevent the disease.
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.
Invasive growth harms the surrounding tissues and organs. In some cases the cancerous growths can prevent the organs from functioning or can start to grow into the organs culminating with the destruction of the organ. Should the cancer get into the lymphatic system then it can spread throughout the body. When this occurs it becomes hard to stop the spread and difficult to treat.
So, whilst ultraviolet radiation and our exposure to sunlight is thought to be the primary environmental cause of malignant melanoma, there are a number of genetic factors that increase the risk.
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)
Melanoma can start as a brown mark or spot on the skin. This may be hard to distinguish from an ordinary mole however if it starts to change color or gets larger then this may be a sign of melanoma. If you notice something like this happening on your body you should see a doctor.
It is virtually impossible to completely avoid sunlight and thus prevent melanoma. The only thing that is practical is to take measure to avoid being over exposed to the Sun. This means always wearing a hat and sunglasses. Wear clothing that covers most of your body. Put sunscreen on areas that are not covered by the clothing, like the face or arms.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
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Find out some common signs and symptoms of skin cancer at http://symptomsofskincancer.net
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