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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. Melanoma can also form in your eyes and, rarely, in internal organs, such as your intestines.
The exact cause of all melanomas isn't clear, but exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or tanning lamps and beds increases your risk of developing melanoma. Other factors, such as your genetic makeup, likely also play a role.
Limiting your sun exposure and avoiding tanning lamps and beds can help reduce your risk of melanoma. And making sure you know the warning signs of skin cancer can help ensure that cancerous changes are detected and treated before the cancer has a chance to spread. Melanoma can be treated successfully if it is detected early.
- What you need to know about melanoma. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/melanoma/allpages. Accessed April 19, 2010.
- Lange JR, et al. Melanoma. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1229.
- Melanoma: What it looks like. SkinCancerNet. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/melanoma.html. Accessed April 24, 2010.
- Albreski D, et al. Melanoma of the feet: Misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009;27:556.
- Hussein MR. Extracutaneous malignant melanomas. Cancer Investigation. 2008;26:516.
- Elder DE. Dysplastic naevi: An update. Histopathology. 2010;56:112.
- Smith RA, et al. Cancer screening in the United States, 2009: A review of current American Cancer Society guidelines and issues in cancer screening. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2009;59:27.
- Skin examinations. SkinCancerNet. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/skin_examinations.html. Accessed April 24, 2010.
- Can melanoma be found early? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_Can_melanoma_be_found_early_50.asp?sitearea=. Accessed April 24, 2010.
- Skin cancer screening. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/skin/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed April 19, 2010.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for skin cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2009;150:188.
- Melanoma. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/melanoma.pdf. Accessed April 19, 2010.
- Melanoma treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/melanoma/healthprofessional/allpages. Accessed April 19, 2010.
- Lazovich D, et al. Indoor tanning and risk of melanoma: A case-control study in a highly exposed population. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 2010;19(6):1557. http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2010/05/21/1055-9965.EPI-09-1249.full.pdf. Accessed May 27, 2010.
- Yervoy (prescribing information). Princeton, N.J.: Bristol-Myers Squibb; 2011. http://packageinserts.bms.com/pi/pi_yervoy.pdf. Accessed Dec. 19, 2011.
- Reed KB, et al. Increasing incidence of melanoma among young adults: An epidemiological study in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2012;87:328.
- What you need to know about skin cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/skin. Accessed April 19, 2010.
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