1. Malignant Melanoma
Aalayis Suggs

2. What is a Malignant Melanoma?
A serious type of skin cancer, starting in the epidermis, in which the tumor is growing and spreading. Estimated 178,560 U.S. cases in 2018

3. What Causes it?
When there is unrepaired damage to skin cells, it can trigger mutations that cause the cells to multiply too quickly, forming a tumor. Damage can be caused by things like radiation exposure, sunburns, and tanning beds.

4. Risk Factors
Severe Sunburns- Just 1 severe sunburn can double your chances of developing melanoma.
Fair skin
Family history of melanoma
Weakened immune system

5. Diagnosis/ Identification
Excisional biopsy
Asymmetry of mole
Border irregularity of mole
Color variability within a lesion
Increasing diameter of a mole, especially to more than 6mm

6. Prevention Limit UV exposure (sun and tanning beds).
Wear sunscreen and protective clothing all year long.
Beware of water, snow, and sand because they reflect and magnify the sun’s rays.
Nearly 90% of melanomas are considered to be preventable.

7. Treatment
Excision
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (to see if it’s spreading)
Chemotherapy
       - ex. Dacarbazine (DTIC-Dome), which is the only
         approved chemotherapy for melanoma