Melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that arises from the cells of melanocytes and can appear on any part of the skin, mucous membranes, eyes. Most often, it looks like a mole, so it is difficult to diagnose melanoma on your own. The tumor has a different size, shape, their color may differ in different areas, but usually, the tumors are well pigmented.

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the number of cases of melanoma in Ukraine. It can occur in people regardless of age, gender, or race. A feature of the tumor is its aggressiveness and the ability to rapidly spread by lymphogenous and hematogenous pathways to almost all organs. Therefore, it is very important to know who is at an increased risk of developing the disease, to undergo regular examinations, and to know the methods of prevention in order to protect yourself from the development of this disease or to recognize it at the initial stages.

Causes of occurrence

The tumor occurs in melanocytes - cells that contain the pigment melanin and are responsible for protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Under the influence of certain risk factors, a defect occurs in a section of DNA in the cell, melanocytes begin to mutate and acquire the ability to grow uncontrollably, stop responding to immune defense. A tumor can arise from a pre-existing nevus (birthmark), but in most cases, the pathological process develops on an unchanged area of the skin.

Trigger factors that increase the risk of developing melanoma are:

excessive sun exposure, including in a solarium;
sunburn;
the presence of multiple moles and dysplastic nevi;

1 and 2 phototypes of skin with a low degree of pigmentation (characterized by white skin, blue or other light eyes, red or light hair color, a large number of freckles);

previously transferred skin melanoma;
the presence of immunodeficiency states;

hereditary predisposition (the presence of cases of melanoma in family history)
;trauma to the nevus.

It is worth emphasizing that the presence of risk factors does not guarantee the exact occurrence of melanoma, however, if you have conditions that increase the risk of its occurrence, it is worth checking the existing nevi with a dermato-oncologist every year.

Symptoms

The insidiousness of melanoma lies in the fact that it usually does not manifest itself in any way. The tumor is painless, and outwardly it often resembles an ordinary mole. Almost everyone has nevi, so it is important to observe them.

There is an ABCDE algorithm, which was developed for people without medical education, for the purpose of self-diagnosis.

A (asymmetry) - asymmetry - an irregular nevus or a change in shape.
B (border) - edges - changes in the contour line of an existing mole or the appearance of a new mole with discontinuous edges.
С (color) - color - changes in the color of the nevus.
D (diameter) - diameter - an increase in the size of the mole, the diameter of the formation is more than 6 mm.
E (evolution) - dynamics - changes in the appearance of a mole, the appearance of burning, peeling, crusts, bleeding in the altered area can be traced.

A single sign does not mean that you have skin melanoma, but it does mean that you need to show your mole to a specialist who will perform a dermatoscopy, assess the clinical picture as a whole, and, if necessary, prescribe further examination and treatment.

You can seek advice from leading specialists in Kyiv in the Dobrobut network of medical clinics. Thanks to the well-coordinated collegial work of the best doctors in Ukraine, we manage to develop the optimal tactics for the examination and treatment of melanoma.

When to see a doctor?

If your mole fits the ABCDE algorithm.
Any new formation on the skin that you have not noticed before.

The “ugly duckling” symptom is when one neoplasm is very different from all the others.
Any change in a pre-existing nevus.

Diagnostics

To begin with, a specialist conducts a dermatoscopy - a study using a dermatoscope. It allows you to assess the edge of the tumor formation, structure, color, vascular growth. If any signs of malignancy are found, then a biopsy is prescribed. For a biopsy, the entire mole is removed at once, and a tissue sample is sent to the laboratory for analysis. In the presence of an ulcer on the nevus, a cytological examination of the imprint from the surface of the ulcer is performed. Three main diagnostic methods are used to determine the presence of metastases: CT, MRI, and lymph node biopsy.

Melanoma treatment in Kiev

After confirming the diagnosis and determining the stage of the oncological process, the onco-dermatologist prescribes surgery to remove the primary tumor. The choice of treatment tactics depends on the stage of the tumor process, the patient's age, general health, and the presence of concomitant diseases. In the early stages, melanoma is completely curable, and if it has not spread beyond its original location on the skin, surgery may be the only treatment needed.

In the presence of a primary tumor without metastases, surgical treatment with a wide excision is used. Melanoma is removed in a single block with the surrounding skin, subcutaneous fat, and underlying fascia. If metastases in regional lymph nodes are drawn into the pathological process, the lymph nodes are excised additionally and immunotherapy is prescribed. The defect on the skin after the operation is corrected by means of plastics.

The use of other treatments depends on the overall clinical situation. If it is impossible to carry out surgical treatment of the tumor, modern methods of chemotherapy and radiation therapy are widely used. Of the systemic methods of treating melanoma, specialists also prefer targeted and immune therapy.

In the case of early detection of a tumor process, the prognosis is quite favorable. After radical treatment, local relapses are extremely rare, however, melanoma metastases can develop some time after the removal of the primary tumor, therefore, regular monitoring by an oncologist is necessary.

The Dobrobut Clinical Oncology Center in Kyiv deals with the treatment of melanoma at different stages of the development of the disease. At the disposal of our medical center are highly qualified specialists with many years of experience, modern diagnostic and treatment equipment. We provide a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of cancer and will be able to develop effective tactics. If you have any questions regarding the treatment of melanoma: the cost, conditions, terms when you can sign up for a consultation - you can call our call center or use the feedback service at any time of the day.