Malignant melanoma (black skin cancer)

Malignant melanoma: symptoms

The dangerous black skin cancer is the better curable the sooner it is treated. But how can one recognize a malignant melanoma? That’s not easy, because the black skin cancer is very diverse, Physicians distinguish four main types of melanoma according to appearance and histologic features:

• Superficial spreading melanoma: about 55 percent of cases
• Nodular melanoma: about 20 percent of cases
• Lentigo malignant melanoma: about 10 percent of cases
• Acrolentiginous melanoma: about 5 percent of cases

In addition, there are even rarer types of malignant melanoma. They account for about ten percent of the cases. They include:

• Amelanotic melanoma
• Scheimhautmelanom
• Uveal melanoma
• Unclassifiable malignant melanoma

For the most common types of melanoma, see Skin Cancer: Symptoms.

Where does black skin cancer develop?

Black male skin cancer is very common in males hull (on the back, for example), but more likely in women Arms and legs, However, malignant melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, not only on sunlit body parts, For example, the malignant skin tumor is sometimes found in the genital area, on the hairy scalp, on the soles of the feet or below a finger or toenail nail.

Malignant melanoma can develop from already changed skin areas: certain Liver spots / moles are more prone to transform into melanoma. There is also early forms of black skin cancer (melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna), which spread without treatment and become a malignant melanoma.

However, a malignant melanoma develops usually on previously unremarkable skin, Newly created “dark spots” on the skin should therefore be kept in mind and in case of doubt go to the dermatologist immediately. When assessing newly formed or already congenital skin patches, the so-called ABCD rule helps.

Malignant melanoma: treatment

How a malignant melanoma is treated on a case-by-case basis depends, among other things, on the tumor stage. In all cases, however, the tumor will become complete if possible surgically removed, with a safety margin. That is, the surgeon cuts into the healthy tissue so that no cancer cells remain as possible.

In the early stages of black skin cancer surgery may be sufficient as a treatment. Otherwise, further therapies will follow to improve the chances of recovery. That can be for example one radiotherapy (Radiotherapy) or – less often – one chemotherapy be. Another treatment option for malignant melanoma is one interferon therapyAfter all visible cancerous growths have been surgically removed, the patient gets injected the drug Interferon-alpha. This stimulates the immune system to produce so-called killer cells, which can destroy remaining cancer cells.

A newer way of treating black skin cancer is one targeted therapy: In the process, drugs are administered that specifically target only the cancer cells. Healthy cells are spared, which is a major advantage for radiation and chemotherapy (they do not distinguish between healthy cells and tumor cells). A targeted therapy is only possible if the cancer cells have certain genetic changes.

You can read more about the treatment options for malignant melanoma under Skin cancer: Treatment.

Black skin cancer: chances of recovery

Improved early diagnosis has significantly improved the prognosis for malignant melanoma in recent decades. Mostly black skin cancer is discovered today at a very early stage. He is almost always curable. With increasing size and spread of the tumor, however, the chances of recovery decrease rapidly. If there are already metastases in the lung, liver or brain, the prognosis of a malignant melanoma is very poor.

In addition to the tumor stage, the type of black melanoma also influences the prognosis: Some types of melanoma grow only superficially for a very long time and are therefore usually easy to treat. Others are more dangerous because they quickly penetrate deeper tissue and spread through the blood and lymph channels in the body.

In addition, the chances of recovery in black skin cancer depend on other factors, such as the age and general health of the patient.

Black skin cancer: life expectancy

Within ten years of the diagnosis of “black skin cancer,” about 11 percent of men and 6 percent of women die of the malignant disease. This means that the relative 10-year survival in malignant melanoma is 89 percent (men) and 94 percent (women). These numbers are averages. In individual cases, the life expectancy of a patient may be higher or lower. Has a Malignant melanoma For example, if metastases have already formed in the lungs or brain, patients can die within months without treatment.