Anyone, regardless of skin type, can be affected by melanoma and other skin tumors. However, people with fair skin that is sensitive to the sun, as well as people with abundant skin spots or freckles, should take extra precautions because they are at the highest risk of developing cancerous skin lesions.
Symptoms of melanoma-type skin cancer
When a spot or lesion appears, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist, especially when this spot complies with the so-called ABCD rule: it must be asymmetrical (A), have irregular edges (B), be dark in color (C) and have a diameter greater than five millimeters (D).
Although in most cases it will not be a melanoma, any of these signs should be considered as an alert, because in this way an early diagnosis will facilitate the success of the treatment.
There are other cases in which it is also advisable to consult a dermatologist urgently, such as an itchy, bloody or rapidly growing spot on the skin.
How is melanoma diagnosed?
To diagnose melanoma and other skin cancers, the dermatologist performs a visual examination of any spots or lesions on the skin. If the visual examination confirms that it may be a skin cancer, a biopsy should be performed to remove and analyze a sample of cells.
In this way, it can be determined whether the skin lesion is cancerous or not. If it is not, the dermatologist will advise the patient on a series of measures to be taken. If the diagnosis is confirmed as melanoma, the patient should be treated by a surgeon and evaluated by an oncology specialist.
In some cases, the oncologist may consider it appropriate to request a series of additional imaging tests to verify whether the cancer has spread to other organs. He or she may also order a complete blood test to monitor the progress of the disease.
Treatment for skin cancer
Most skin cancers are removed by surgery and cure rates are at very high levels, without the need for chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
In the case of melanoma, treatment usually begins with the removal of the tumor lesion through surgery. Depending on the thickness of the lesion, an analysis of the nearest lymph nodes is performed to check for tumor cells.
When the oncologist has the results of the lymph node analysis, as well as blood tests and imaging tests that provide additional information about the disease, he proceeds to determine the most appropriate treatment for each patient. This treatment may include radiotherapy or some pharmacological treatment which, on occasions, can be prolonged for a year.
Once treatment has been completed, follow-up testing is required. These follow-up tests may vary from one patient to another, depending on the extent of the melanoma at the time of diagnosis.
Generally, during the first three years, patients should visit the office every three months for a progress evaluation. After three years, two follow-up visits per year are required.