7 Signs of Melanoma

Melanoma in cancer has abnormal formation and development, over time it will cause compression, invasion and destruction of healthy tissues or organs. “What are the manifestations of Melanoma? Can Melanoma be cured? is an issue of concern to many people.

1. What is Melanoma?

Melanoma are tumors that grow faster and have the ability to invade and spread to healthy tissues. At the same time, these Melanomas also have the ability to metastasize to other parts of the patient’s body through the blood system and lymph nodes.

The location of Melanoma’s appearance can be in any part of the body including: Breasts, lungs, intestines, liver, reproductive organs and skin,… Due to its ability to penetrate and spread quickly, it is Thoroughly treating these tumors is also very difficult. In particular, it will be even more difficult when cancer is detected at a late stage, even if it is too late it will affect life.

2. Is Melanoma cancer?

Many people still think that having a tumor means having cancer. But that is only partly true, not every tumor is cancer and there are many types of cancer that do not have a tumor unless it has metastasized to another location such as leukemia.

There are two types of tumors in the body: benign and malignant tumors.

• Benign tumors diagnosed through tests are not cancerous, do not pose a danger to the patient, and can be treated thoroughly with surgery.
• Most cancers have tumors. After doing tests and biopsying the tumor, it will be determined whether it is Melanoma or not.
• Melanoma in some cancers also has the ability to separate from the original tumor, move to other organs to proliferate, develop and cause disease in the body. This is called the cancer’s ability to metastasize. .

3. Manifestations of Melanoma.

Most Melanoma in the early stages often has no obvious signs or symptoms. Patients often discover Melanoma when it has grown large, causing pressure on blood vessels, organs and nerves, leading to pain.

Signs of Melanoma may include:

• Local symptoms: When the tumor has not metastasized, the tumor will appear swollen, possibly bleeding and have acute pain.
• Symptoms of metastasis: If the tumor spreads, common symptoms are enlarged lymph nodes, liver tumors or lung tumors.
• General symptoms of the whole body, which can occur with benign tumors: Sweating a lot, especially at night, poor appetite, sudden weight loss, always tired and anemic…
• In the case of suspected abnormal tumors on the body. Go to a medical facility as soon as possible to be examined, diagnosed, detected and treated promptly by doctors.

4. Causes of Melanoma

Melanoma can appear at any age. Therefore, Melanoma is considered a dangerous disease that can cause high mortality. Although over the years there have been many studies discussing the causes of Melanoma, the answer is still a mystery and cannot be clearly determined. Many scientists also believe that the cause of Melanoma formation is most likely due to genetic mutations.

In addition, a number of factors contribute to increasing the risk of Melanoma including:

• Smoke;
• Drink beer;
• Polluted living environment;
• Overweight, obesity;
• Less exercise, less exercise;
• Unhealthy diet;
• Genetic.

5. Its characteristics

Melanoma will feel harder, firmly attached to the skin, and have uneven or jagged edges. In particular, when force is applied to this tumor, no displacement occurs.

• Cells tend to spread more quickly;
• Melanoma often grows very quickly;
• There is invasion of nearby healthy tissues;
• Can metastasize to other organs of the body through the blood or lymph;
• Under the microscope: Cells have abnormal chromosomes and DNA (large, strangely shaped nuclei);
• Secretes substances that cause fatigue and weight loss.

Thus, the symptoms are often unclear in the early stages, and are even difficult to detect. But when symptoms appear, the tumor has often grown very large or may have metastasized, causing danger. Therefore, if you see an unusual change in your health condition or discover an unusual tumor on your body, go to a medical facility to be examined, diagnosed and treated promptly by specialists.

6. Can Melanoma be cured?

When Melanoma is detected, early examination for timely detection and treatment can help ensure thorough treatment. However, if tumors are detected late, when they grow larger or can metastasize to other organs, treatment will be very difficult, or even impossible.

Depending on the different stages of development, doctors can choose appropriate treatment methods such as: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplant, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and medication. or clinical trials…

7. Measures to diagnose and treat Melanoma

Through clinical examination, lifestyle and medical history of the patient, if the patient is suspected of having a tumor, the doctor will prescribe the following tests for diagnosis:

• Basic blood tests and tumor biopsy: Pathology results are considered the gold standard in cancer diagnosis. Basic blood tests help evaluate the patient’s overall condition. In addition, cancer marker tests are also quite important in monitoring the development and management of Melanoma;
• Imaging diagnosis: Imaging tests such as X-ray, MRI, CT, bone scan, ultrasound,… will be conducted to get an overview of the tumor image.

If Melanoma is diagnosed and detected in the early stages, the chance of cure is very high. However, if they have invaded deeply into tissue organizations and spread to other organs, it will cause considerable difficulty in treatment. Metastatic melanoma or late-stage cancer can also cause the patient to die. Assessing the patient’s health situation and the current condition of the tumor will help the doctor develop the most suitable treatment regimen for the patient.

Commonly applied cancer treatment methods today include:

• Surgery: With this form, the tumor will be completely removed if the disease is in an early stage, the new tumor has developed in one area and has not spread to other areas;
• Chemotherapy and radiotherapy: These two methods may be prescribed individually or in combination before or after surgery. This helps prevent tumor recurrence, increase cure rates and prolong patient survival;
• Targeted treatment: Compared to the three methods mentioned above, this is considered a superior new solution applicable to specific types of cancer. A number of new drugs will be used to help patients select and destroy cancer cells most accurately. Unlike chemotherapy and radiotherapy, this group of drugs does not affect healthy cells, preserving healthy tissues and the patient’s health. However, the cost of treatment is very high, not many patients can afford it, and the current drug supply is not official.

In general, Melanoma and cancer are still a big worry not only for patients but also a burden for the healthcare system of every country. Understanding the signs of Melanoma will help us easily detect the existence of cancer, thereby planning early examination and treatment. Thanks to the advancement of modern science and technology, cancer diagnosis and treatment is now more convenient and gives many people the opportunity to survive.

Therefore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, having a scientific diet and reasonable exercise, and performing annual cancer screening will help you prevent the risk of cancer. If Melanoma shows signs of development, you can also be diagnosed in the early stages, the chance of cure is very high.