Black Skin Cancer (Malignant Melanoma)

Also known as black skin cancer, malignant melanoma is the most malignant skin cancer. Black skin cancer often forms daughter tumors (metastases). In Germany, about 20,000 people contract it every year. The number of melanoma patients is currently doubling every ten years. More than 2,000 people die from this disease every year. Unlike basal cell cancer or prickle cell cancer, whose development depends on a total UV dose absorbed over many years, short, intense UV exposures appear to be the cause in malignant melanoma.

Who is in the at-risk group?

The highest risk factor for malignant melanoma of the skin is the number of pigmented moles present (on the entire body). People with more than 40 pigmented moles or atypical pigmented moles have a 7- to 15-fold higher risk of developing malignant melanoma. Sunburns in childhood and adolescence increase the risk of developing malignant melanoma by a factor of two to three.

In addition to UV exposure, genetic predisposition also plays a role. Individuals with fair skin types (especially skin types I and II), with reddish or blond hair, with a tendency to freckles, sun spots, or a family history of malignant melanoma have a more than 100-fold increased risk of developing black skin cancer during their lifetime, depending on the combination of risk factors.

Malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma may resemble harmless pigmented moles at first glance. However, closer examination using the A-B-C-D rule can identify them as malignant. They occur in 80 percent of cases on normally clothed areas of the body and can also occur on the hairy head, under fingernails and toenails, as well as on the soles of the feet.

If malignant melanoma is suspected, conspicuous pigmented moles are removed by the dermatologist and examined for fine tissue. If the suspicion is confirmed, the treatment of malignant melanoma depends on the tumor thickness. People between the ages of 40 and 50 are particularly likely to develop malignant melanoma. However, even twenty-year-old patients with malignant melanoma are no longer rare today due to changes in sun behavior.