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Melanoma (Malignant Melanoma)

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Melanoma is the least common form of skin cancer, but it is the most serious. It is the one most likely to spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma becomes more common with increasing age, but still occurs in younger people. Melanoma is the third most common cancer in people aged 15-39. A typical melanoma starts as a small dark patch on the skin (similar to a mole). It can develop from a normal part of skin, or from an existing mole. A melanoma is often different to a mole in one or more of the following ways (summed up as ABCD) - that is:

Asymmetry - the shape of a melanoma is often uneven and asymmetrical, unlike a mole which is usually round and even.
Border - the border or edges of a melanoma are often ragged, notched or blurred. A mole has a smooth well-defined edge.
Colour - the colour (pigmentation) of a melanoma is often not uniform. So there may be 2-3 shades of brown or black. A mole usually has one uniform colour.
Diameter - the size of a melanoma is usually larger than a normal mole, and it continues to grow.
However, some melanomas are not dark, and some melanomas are not typical in how they look. As a melanoma grows in the skin it may itch, bleed, crust or ulcerate.

What causes skin cancer?

The cause of most skin cancers is sun damage to the skin. About 9 in 10 non-melanoma skin cancers, and about 6 in 10 melanomas are thought to be caused by excessive exposure to the sun. In particular, past episodes of sunburn significantly increase the risk. It is the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the sunshine which does the damage. Skin cells which are damaged are at greater risk of becoming abnormal and cancerous. (See the leaflets on the individual cancers for other possible risk factors and causes.)

Although skin cancer is rare in children, the amount of sun exposure during childhood is thought to increase the risk of developing skin cancers in adult life. Therefore, it is vital to protect children from too much sunshine (see below).