What is melanoma skin cancer?
- Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body.
- The main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
- Things that increase your chances of getting melanoma include your age and having pale skin, a large number of moles and a family history of skin cancer.
- It’s often possible to prevent skin cancer by being careful in the sun – for example, by using sunscreen and reapplying it regularly.
- How melanoma is treated depends on where it is, if it has spread to other areas of your body and your general health. Surgery is the main treatment.
Symptoms when to seek medical advice:
- you have a mole that’s changed size, shape or colour
- you have a mole that’s painful or itchy
- you have a mole that’s inflamed, bleeding or crusty
- you have a new or unusual mark on your skin that has not gone away after a few weeks
- you have a dark area under a nail that has not been caused by an injury
Main test for melanoma (excision biopsy)
If a GP refers you to a specialist (dermatologist) because they think you could have skin cancer, you’ll have tests to check for melanoma.
The specialist will check your skin and ask you about any changes you’ve noticed. They may use a magnifying device that lets them look at the skin more closely.
The specialist may also cut out the mole and a small area of surrounding skin so it can be sent to a lab and checked for cancer. This is known as an excision biopsy.
