Synonyms in a broader sense
Malignant melanoma, skin cancer, dermatology, tumor
Definition
Malignant melanoma is a highly malignant tumor that quickly forms metastases in other organs. As the name suggests, it originates from the melanocytes of the skin. Almost 50% of all melanomas develop from pigmented moles.
However, they can also develop “spontaneously” on completely inconspicuous skin. The earlier the melanoma is detected, the better the prognosis. Therefore, skin cancer screening should be carried out regularly.
Melanomas that are detected before they can spread their metastases to other organs and can be completely surgically removed are considered cured. Therefore, you should check yourself from time to time for altered moles or birthmarks. The diagnosis is made according to the ABCD rule.
You can read more about this in the section “Forms and symptoms of melanoma“. Spots are conspicuous if their shape is not evenly round or oval. The border of a mark should be sharp and regular.
The attention should be drawn to marks that look washed out or have frayed edges. If a birthmark has several shades of color, it should be closely observed. Particularly dark spots also require observation.
If the size is more than 5mm, birthmarks should be kept under observation. If melanoma is suspected, a biopsy (tissue sample) is usually not taken. This should be avoided because of the premature metastasis it causes, so if there is a suspicion they will be removed completely.
Staging is the division of the tumor disease into stages. There are various criteria for this: The tumor penetration depth is determined depending on the affected skin layers. It is divided into levels I to level V. The absolute maximum tumor thickness is determined with a magnifying glass and is of great importance when surgically removing the tumor.
A certain safety margin (depending on the tumor thickness) must always be maintained. For example, if the tumor is between 1 and 4 mm thick, healthy tissue is removed at a safety distance of 2 cm around the tumor. This prevents the development of new tumors at the same location.
In half of the cases, metastases occur in the surrounding lymph nodes. In 25% of cases, distant metastases in other organs occur first. In principle, any organ can be affected.
However, the main organs are affected:
- Penetration depth, tumor thickness
- For primary melanomas > 1mm: Lymph node biopsy
- To detect distant metastases: physical examination, imaging procedures (ultrasound, MRI, X-ray, etc. )
- Determine possible tumor markers in the blood
- Lymph nodes (60%)
- Lung (36%)
- Liver (20%)
- Brain (20%)
- Bone (17%)
The first measure should be to remove the primary tumor completely and with an appropriate safety distance. The treatment of malignant melanoma depends on the stage the tumor is in.
In stage 3, for example, treatment is carried out with ? interferon. Interferons are the body’s own defense substances.
The best known effect of interferons is the defence against viruses. They also influence the growth, i.e. the division and reproduction of cancer cells. Chemotherapeutic agents are used when the tumor has already spread, i.e. metastases are present.
These drugs act specifically on cells that divide rapidly. It is precisely this rapid growth that characterizes all tumor cells.
- Removal of the primary tumor
- 10 years of controls (including ultrasound of lymph nodes)
- Like stage 1
- PLUS Lymph node biopsy
- Like stage 2
- PLUS Removal of lymph nodes and metastases
- PLUS Chemotherapy (Dacarbazin) and Immunotherapy (Interferon-?
)
- Like stage 3
- PLUS palliative therapy (relieve pain etc. )
- Stage 1:
- Removal of the primary tumor
- 10 years of controls (including ultrasound of lymph nodes)
- Stage 2:
- Like stage 1
- PLUS Lymph node biopsy
- Stage 3:
- Like stage 2
- PLUS Removal of lymph nodes and metastases
- PLUS Chemotherapy (Dacarbazin) and Immunotherapy (Interferon-? )
- Stage 4:
- Like stage 3
- PLUS palliative therapy (relieve pain etc.
)
To prevent skin cancer, the right sun protection is very important for people with fair skin. See: SunburnEven if you have many moles, you should avoid too much sun. With the help of the right sun creams with a sufficiently high sun protection factor, they can help prevent this.
By covering your skin with sufficient clothing, you also protect your skin from the sun’s rays, because even sunscreen is no longer effective at some point. Caution is especially important with small children. If there are a large number of moles, a dermatologist (dematologist) should be consulted regularly for a checkup.
