Malignant melanoma

Alternative names:

acral lentiginous melanoma; cancer of the skin (malignant melanoma); lentigo maligna melanoma; melanoma - acral lentiginous; melanoma - lentigo maligna; melanoma - malignant; melanoma - nodular; melanoma - superficial spreading; nodular melanoma; skin cancer - malignant melanoma; superficial spreading melanoma

Prevention:

Minimize sun exposure. Protect skin from the sun: wear protective clothing such as hats, long sleeved shirts, long skirts or pants. Sunlight is most intense at mid-day, so try to avoid exposure during these hours. Use high quality sunscreens, preferably with SPF (sun protection factor) ratings of at least 15. Apply sunscreen at least one-half hour before exposure, and reapply frequently. Use sunscreen for winter exposure also.

Examine the skin regularly for development of suspicious growths or changes in an existing skin lesion. A new growth that ulcerates or is slow to heal is suspicious. Suspicious changes in existing growths include change in color, size, texture, appearance, or development of pain, inflammation, bleeding or itching. A lesion that is asymmetrical, has irregular or diffuse borders, has multiple colors mixed in one lesion, or is larger than 6 millimeters in diameter is suspicious.