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Melanoma
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/melanoma.html

Melanoma

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Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Living With
  • Related Issues
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Summary

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or "ugly looking."

Thinking of "ABCDE" can help you remember what to watch for:

  • Asymmetry - the shape of one half does not match the other
  • Border - the edges are ragged, blurred or irregular
  • Color - the color is uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan
  • Diameter - there is a change in size, usually an increase
  • Evolving - the mole has changed over the past few weeks or months

Surgery is the first treatment of all stages of melanoma. Other treatments include chemotherapy and radiation, biologic, and targeted therapies. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

  • General Information about Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Melanoma (American Academy of Dermatology)
  • What Is Melanoma Skin Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • BRAF Genetic Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Lymphoscintigraphy (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • PDL1 (Immunotherapy) Tests From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Skin Biopsy (VisualDX)
  • Skin Cancer Screening From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Skin Cancer Screening From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Stages of Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Tests for Melanoma Skin Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Common Moles, Dysplastic Nevi, and Risk of Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Risk Factors for Melanoma Skin Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
  • Skin Cancer Prevention From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Drugs Approved for Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)
  • Treatment Option Overview (Melanoma) From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

  • Living as a Melanoma Skin Cancer Survivor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Moles: Overview (American Academy of Dermatology)
  • What Causes Melanoma Skin Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

  • General Information about Intraocular (Uveal) Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Ocular Melanoma (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Genetics

  • Giant congenital melanocytic nevus: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Melanoma: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Images

  • Melanoma (VisualDX)
  • What Does a Mole Look Like? From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)
  • What Does Melanoma Look Like? From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)

Statistics and Research

  • Advances in Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers Research From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)
  • Cancer Stat Facts: Melanoma of the Skin From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)
  • Melanoma of the Skin Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
  • Some Melanomas May Start in Hair Follicles From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • What's New in Research and Treatment of Melanoma Skin Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Melanoma From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: A phase I/II study of the safety and efficacy of telaglenastat...
  • Article: Early switch from run-in with targeted to immunotherapy in advanced BRAF(V600)-positive...
  • Article: Tebentafusp elicits on-target cutaneous immune responses driven by cytotoxic T cells...
  • Melanoma -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Dictionary of Cancer Terms From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

  • American Cancer Society
  • Find a Dermatologist (American Academy of Dermatology)
  • National Cancer Institute From the National Institutes of Health Also in Spanish

Children

  • Childhood Intraocular (Uveal) Melanoma Treatment From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Childhood Melanoma Treatment From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

  • Melanoma (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Melanoma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Melanoma of the eye (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Melanoma

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • After chemotherapy - discharge
  • Melanoma
  • Melanoma of the eye
  • Urine melanin test

Related Health Topics

  • Skin Cancer
  • Sun Exposure
  • Tanning

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Melanoma is the National Cancer Institute

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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