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Melanoma is a common but serious skin cancer which, if not removed early while it is thin, spreads internally and is usually fatal. It is often ignored until too late because, in the early stages, it may look harmless and cause no discomfort. Many people don't realize that something small on their skin can kill them if not treated promptly.
Many people don’t realize that something small on their skin can kill them
if not treated promptly. |
Although it is uncommon in children under 10, melanoma occurs in every age group after puberty. It is the most common type of cancer in the 25 to 29 age group and second only to breast cancer in women ages 20 to 39. Overall, melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in males and sixth in females. The US incidence of melanoma is nearly triple that of new HIV infections and is increasing at an epidemic rate; 196,060 new cases were predicted for 2020. Most new melanoma patients have no family history of the disease; it can strike anyone regardless of health, physical condition, or skin complexion. On the average, there is a melanoma death in the US every 56 minutes.
The good news is that melanoma is easy to detect yourself at an early stage while it is thin and is curable by simple, painless removal in an office setting. All it takes is a ten minute monthly skin check. This site shows you how to check your skin, what to look for, and how to decrease your risk of melanoma.
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How to Use This Website
Except for the Home, Contact Us, and Site Map pages, the main pages of this site are labeled numerically at the bottom, starting with Page 1. Pages numbered 5a, 5b, etc. are supplemental pages with additional information about the subjects in the corresponding main pages.
For students and others interested in essential information about early detection and prevention of melanoma, main pages 1–6 and supplemental page 4a are suggested; other pages are optional. For other visitors, use the menu at the top of each page to click on a topic of interest. A link to the Site Map is also available at the top of each page. Some site content requires the free Adobe Flash Player (version 9.0 or later) to view. See what Flash Player version is installed in your web browser.
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