User:Nikcen

''Journal of Cancer -Dr. Bolderman''

Malignant melanoma

What is malignant melanoma?

Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in the skin's 'pigmentation system', ie the skin layer that becomes tanned in the summer. Melanomas usually start in moles or in areas of normal-looking skin. In rare cases the tumour may begin in the eyes, the respiratory passage, the intestine, or the brain. Malignant melanoma is a very dangerous type of cancer, although much less popular than the other (non-melanoma skin cancers) and the patient's chances of survival often depend on early discovery and treatment. Dr. Bolderman, a researcher of WHO has brought about a fact that since the early 1970s, there were a remarkable raise in proportion of patients suffering from malignant melanoma, for example an average 4 per cent every year in the United States. There are many studies indicate that the risk of malignant melanoma interrelates with genetic and personal characteristics, and a person’s UV exposure behavior. The following is a summary of the main human risk factors: Malignant melanoma

•	A large number of atypical nevi (moles) is the strongest risk factor for malignant melanoma in fair-skinned populations.

•	Malignant melanoma is more common among people with a pale complexion, blue eyes, and red or fair hair. Experimental studies have demonstrated a lower minimum erythema dose and more prolonged erythema in melanoma patients than in controls.

•	High, intermittent exposure to solar UV appears to be a significant risk factor for the development of malignant melanoma.

•	The incidence of malignant melanoma in white populations generally increases with decreasing latitude, with the highest recorded incidence occurring in Australia, where the annual rates are 10 and over 20 times the rates in Europe for women and men respectively.

•	Several epidemiological studies support a positive association with history of sunburn, particularly sunburn at an early age.

•	The role of cumulative sun exposure in the development of malignant melanoma is equivocal. However, malignant melanoma risk is higher in people with a history of non-melanoma skin cancers and of solar keratoses, both of which are indicators of cumulative UV exposure.