Melanoma Prognosis

Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in people, irrespective of age and sex. Melanoma, is the deadliest type of skin cancer, that develops in the skin cells, known as melanocytes. Melanocytes are pigment producing cells, present in the skin, that are responsible for determination of color. Skin cancer is divided into stages and prognosis largely depends on them.

Melanoma
Human skin is made up of two layers- the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer and dermis lies just below it. Melanocytes that are present in the epidermis produce a dark pigment known as melanin which is responsible for giving color to the skin. Melanoma develops in the epidermis when the melanocytes are affected by ultra violet radiation or by some other serious condition causing cancer. Sometimes, a cancerous mass of cells is formed in the dermis which is called a tumor. If the tumor is developed from a mutant melanocyte, it may be malignant and can spread rapidly. Melanoma generally occurs as dark mole like spots that have irregular borders. The risk of developing skin cancer increases with overexposure to the sun or if you have a family history of skin cancer.

Melanoma Staging
Melanoma staging refers to the process of determining how widespread the cancer is. It is based on the size of the tumors as well as the affected organs and the rate at which it spreads. Melanoma is divided into five stages, indicated by 0 and the roman numerals I to IV. Staging helps in the treatment and recovery of the condition. The lower the stage, the better the prognosis. It also depend on the severity of the condition.

Prognosis of Melanoma
The prognosis depends on several factors. They are as follows:

• Type of Melanoma
• Depth of the cancer invasion
• Size or thickness of the malignant tumor
• Stage at which cancer was detected
• Mitotic rate of the tumor
• Organs affected
• Nature and severity of malignancy

These were some of the factors on which the prognosis is based on. The earlier the condition is diagnosed, the effective will be its treatment. Melanoma tends to spread to different parts of the body through the blood and also through the lymph system. It generally spreads to the lungs, liver and brain, giving rise to life-threatening conditions. However, the signs should be identified as early as possible, preferably in stage 0, which is a treatable stage. If you fail to notice the moles in the early stages, the cancer can spread to different parts very quickly, and can lead to poor prognosis of skin cancer. If the cancer is detected in the local stage, also known as melanoma in situ, the five year survival rate is as high as 95%. However, the survival drops below 60%, if the cancer goes unnoticed in the early stages and reaches an advanced stage.

A portion or the entire tumor is removed and a biopsy is performed in a medical laboratory. The analysis helps in the prognosis of malignant melanoma. The pathologist also looks for evidence of any ulceration of the epidermis, which can worsen the skin cancer prognosis. Sometimes, the doctor may also take a sample of lymph nodes for analysis, as cancer generally spreads via lymph vessels.

So, this was all about melanoma prognosis. It may happen that your individual prognosis may differ from the statistical averages, however, prognosis by stage can help in giving you an idea of your treatment and recovery.