MELANOMA

Melanoma is a form of cancer that develops in the skin's pigment cells (melanocytes) and is the most serious form of skin cancer and grows very quickly if left untreated. It can spread to the lower part of your skin (dermis), enter the lymphatic system or bloodstream and then spread to other parts of the body; for example, the lungs, liver, brain or bone. We now know that there are several well-defined risk factors for melanoma. Identifying patients who are high-risk for melanoma and maintaining close surveillance will help assure early detection and implementation of treatment as early as possible. Specifically, patients who are high-risk for melanoma may have:

• A prior history of melanoma
• Family history of melanoma
• Atypical/dysplastic moles
• A large number of moles
• "Atypical mole" syndrome ("dysplastic nevus" syndrome)