Every year in the Lviv region, oncologists detect approximately 160 cases of melanoma. 11% of patients with this disease die within the first year of diagnosis.
Melanoma (from the English melanoma, malignant melanoma) is a malignant tumor, one of the most dangerous forms of cancer.
The tumor spreads through the lymph and blood to almost all organs, is mainly localized on the skin, less often on the retina of the eye.
During the first quarter of 2023, 41 cases of melanoma were detected in the Lviv region, of which 4 patients had the fourth stage of the disease, the Lviv Oncology Regional Treatment and Diagnostic Center reported.
Melanoma risk factors:
- white skin, light (blue) eyes, light hair and pink freckles;
- history of sunburns, especially received in childhood and adolescence;
- excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation - even artificial in the solarium;
- heredity, age – over 50 years, male gender.
The risk of developing melanoma is also related to the phototype of the skin. People with I and II photo types (fair skin, hair, blue eyes) and least V and VI (dark skin) are most prone to tumor development, but it does not completely exclude the possibility of the disease.
Prevention of melanoma:
n Perform periodic self-examinations and examination of moles. In case of changes in shape, color and form - immediately consult a doctor!
n Avoid trauma to the skin in the area of moles
n Protect yourself from sunlight and skin burns
n Use sunscreen
n Have a dermatoscopy - an examination of the surface layer of the skin (epidermis) using a device by a dermatologist or oncologist
When to sound the alarm?
In order to better remember the signs of the transformation of moles into melanoma, the "ABCDE" scale and the "ACORD" scale were created:
A - asymmetry, if a healthy birthmark is divided in half by a conventional line, the halves should be equal; the appearance of asymmetry can be one of the first signs of regeneration.
K is the edge, it should be even in a healthy birthmark. The appearance of irregularities or a torn edge may indicate its regeneration.
O – the color should be uniform. The intensity of color in different birthmarks may vary. Danger will be indicated by the appearance of splashes of a different color: gray, white, black, red, dark brown.
P is the size, the larger the mole, the higher the risk of rebirth, but the size can be cumulative, that is, many small moles increase the risk of rebirth of one of them.
D - dynamics. Any changes in the dynamics can indicate a rebirth: an increase in size, bleeding, the appearance of crusts.
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