Melanoma Specialist

What is melanoma?

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in the melanocytes in your skin. Melanocytes are responsible for the melanin, or brown pigment, in your skin. Melanocytes give your skin its darker color when you have a tan, too.

Melanomas form when the cells in the melanocytes grow out of control and form a mass of cancerous cells. Medical researchers aren’t quite sure what damages these skin cells and causes them to multiply. But, they do believe that sun exposure and ultraviolet (UV) radiation are the leading causes of this potentially deadly skin cancer.

What are the symptoms of melanoma?

Although melanomas can develop anywhere on your body, they’re most common in areas that receive the most sun exposure, such as your arms, legs, neck, and face. It’s possible to develop a melanoma on areas of your body that don’t get much sun exposure, too, like the soles of your feet or the palms of your hands. Melanoma can be a new mole or develop in an existing mole.

You can sometimes identify the first signs of melanoma using the letters “ABCDE” to remind you to look for:

• Asymmetrical - a mole that’s changed shape
• Border - a mole that’s oddly shaped or has uneven edges
• Color - changes in a mole that makes it appear unevenly pigmented
• Diameter - a mole or skin growth that’s larger than ¼ inch
• Evolving - moles or areas of skin that change, like becoming itchy or bleeding
  
  

It may be hard to tell if you have these symptoms, as melanomas vary quite a bit in appearance and can even be “amelanotic” or without pigment. It is important to monitor your skin for new and changing moles. We often advise patients to have their spouse help monitor hard to see moles, such as moles on the back. Patients can also an app, such as miiskin which reminds patients to photograph moles and alerts the patient to any changes. Make appointment with one of the professional dermatologist at HK Dermatology at the first sign of changing moles for a head-to-toe evaluation for any signs of developing melanomas or other types of skin cancer.

How does a dermatologist treat melanomas?

If diagnosed and treated early, melanoma is almost always curable, especially if it’s still confined to the surface of your skin and hasn’t yet penetrated to the deeper layers. The highly skilled dermatologic surgeons at HK Dermatology remove the melanoma tumor from your skin during a very comfortable outpatient procedure using local anesthetic. Depending on the stage of your melanoma, your dermatologist customizes a comprehensive surgical plan to remove the cancerous cells.

If you suspect you have melanoma, don’t wait to seek treatment. Call HK Dermatology today to schedule an exam or book online.