Sometimes people find mole beautiful and
call it a 'Beauty Mark' while other take it as an unwanted growth on the
body. There is nothing unusual in
getting moles if it is not harming you.
But sometimes these moles are early symptoms of melanoma, a kind of skin
cancer, but if diagnosed early and treated, the cure rate is nearly 100%. The only prevention from any kind of disease
is not to ignore any changes taking place in your body.
If not diagnosed and treated Melanoma spreads quickly to
other parts of the body . Spreading of Melanoma
is deadly sometimes. Examining the moles on the skin is a good way of
finding melanoma.
Here are the ABCDEs of Melanoma-
 |
| Here Is The Comparision Of Benign And Malignant Melanoma And It's ADCDE |
To detect melanomas (and increase survival rates), it is recommended to learn what they look like (see diagram above and description of "ABCDE" below )
Asymmetry - If the color of the mole is not
consistent and one half is unlike the other half .
Border – An irregular and poorly defined
border .
Color – If the color of the mole is varied
from one area to another. If the shades varies from tan, brown or black. Sometimes may white, red or blue.
Diameter - Usually greater than 6mm when
diagnosed but may be smaller too.
Evolving – A mole or lesion that look
different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color.
If you see mole
on the skin with any of the other symptoms, see a dermatologist immediately. Most common
early sign is growing, unusual
and non uniform mole or moles on the skin. It can be of any size. So closely examine any new mole you find on your skin.
Symptoms-
Sometimes
melanoma will cause-
Itching
Bleeding
Painful
Who IS More Prone To Melanoma -
People with
fair (The risk is higher if they have red or blonde hair and blue or green eyes)
skin are more prone to melanoma. But
people with brown or black skin can also get this disease.
People who has 50+
moles, large moles or unusual looking mole.
If your skin is
very sensitive to sun.
If your skin
burns easily in sun, spend time in tanning (any type eg. Sun, sun bed or sun
lamps) you have higher risk of melanoma.
Research shows that indoor tanning increases the risk by 75%. The risk
also increases with breast or thyroid cancer.
If you have family
history of this kind of mole.
Note - People in any
age group are getting melanoma. The major reason
in most cases of getting melanoma is UV rays which we get from sun, tanning
sunbeds and sun lamps. Heredity also plays role in getting melanoma.
DIAGNOSIS
Doctor will
examine mole and other spots carefully, sometimes he uses a device called
dermoscope which helps them to see pigment and structure in the skin. Biopsy (a part of skin is sent to lab for
examination) is required after that, as melanoma cannot be diagnosed without
biopsy. A special kind of biopsy called
SLNB (Sentinel lymph node biopsy) is needed to determine the stage of melanoma. If the report of
biopsy diagnoses melanoma, it may also tell the stage which tells how deeply
the cancer has grown in the skin.
STAGE
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
STAGE0
|
Melanoma is confine to the top layer (epidermis) of
the skin.
|
|
STAGE I
|
Melanoma is confined to the skin, but has grown
thicker (Upto 1mm).
|
IA skin covering the melanoma remains intact
IIA The skin covering the melanoma has broken open
(ulcerated)
|
STAGE II
|
Thickness of melanoma lies between 1.01 mm – 4mm. The
covering may be broken but the cancer has not spread.
|
|
STAGE III
|
Melanoma has spread to either one or more
nearby lymph node or nearby skin.
|
|
STAGE IV
|
Melanoma has spread to an internal organ or lymph
nodes further or is found on the skin far from the original melanoma.
|
NOTE - When
Melanoma spreads, generally it moves to the closest lymph nodes first.
Other tests
patient need is CT Scan, X rays, Blood Test.
TREATMENT
The
treatment given to the patient depends
upon the report or the stage determined by the test. If it is determined early in the initial
stage, it can be removed easily in a single sitting in clinic but if it is diagnosed after
getting deeper into the skin then more intense therapy (like chemotherapy) is needed.
So the treatment depends upon how deeply melanoma has penetrated in the
skin. If it is treated in the initial
stage or when it is in the top layer of the skin the cure rate is 100%. If the melanoma spreads deeper into the skin, the patient may die.
Note- Person who
got there Melanoma treated has higher (5 times higher) risk of getting another
melanoma. But visit doctor as soon as
you find any signs and get a 100% cure.
PREVENTION
As we always say, PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE. Theses
tips can help you reduce the risk of getting melanoma and keep your skin
healthy.
If you use any
of the indoor tanning method, stop immediately as it increases the risk by
75%.
Tanning actually damages your skin.
Prevent yourself
from spending time outdoors between 10-2 p.m..
The sun is at it’s best during this time.
Wear sunscreen
even on cloudy and sunny days. Look for
atleast 30 SPF alongwith UVA and UVB protection.
Wear sunglasses
with UV protection. Melanoma can develop in eyes.
SUNSCREEN WITH 30 OR MORE SPF IN AVAILABLE IN INDIA-
SUNSCREEN WITH 30 OR MORE SPF IN AVAILABLE IN INDIA-
Ansolar Lotion (With High UVA and UVB protection) SPF 60 - INR 600 for 60ml - My dermatologist recommended this to me and it is water resistant too and I am highly satisfied with it)
Lotus Herbals Safe Sun 3 In 1 Matte-Look Daily Sun block PA+++ SPF-40 - INR 324 for 100 gms
Lakme Sun Expert Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50: INR 340 for 30 ml
VLCC Matte Look Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 PA+++: INR 176 for 60 ml
L’Oreal Paris Dermo Expertise UV Perfect Moisture Fresh Sunscreen SPF 30 - INR 499 for 30 ml
Jovees Sandalwood Sun cover Natural Protection SPF 30 (50g) - INR 105 for 50 gm
Vedic Line Sweat Free Sun block Cream Gel SPF 30 - INR 189 for 65 ml
Biotique Face & Body Sun Lotion SPF 30 – Bio Aloe Vera - INR 199 for 120ml
Olay Natural White Sunscreen Lotion - - SPF 30 - INR 299 for 50ml
Living Proof Multi-Protection Day Cream SPF 50 PA+++ - INR 645 for 40 ml
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock - SPF 50 (88 ml)- INR 499 for 88 ml
Neutrogena Fine Fairness Lotion SPF 30 / PA ++ - INR 299 for 50ml
Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50 Emulsion Dry Touch - INR 890 for 50ml
STAY AWAY FROM SUN FOR HEALTHY SKIN
http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z
www.mylwi.com -
www.skinmagonline.com
www.palimadaily.com
www.healthgrades.com
www.harvardderm.com
www.uchospitals.edu
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