Malignant melanoma

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About one cancer in 100 is a malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is a tumour of melancytes, the cells that produce melanin. (the pigment that colours the skin ,hair and the iris of the eyes. Skin melanomas are very rare in childhood and occur most frequently in people who are middle-aged or older.

Malignant melanoma can also affect the choroid of the eye, the layer just under the retina. This is the most common type of eye tumour. It causes no pain, but leads to detachment of the retina and an obvious visual defect.

They are becoming more common, probably because of the increasing number of people from temperate climates exposed to strong sunlight. Malignant melanoma has doubled every ten years for the past 40 years. This is almost certainly because holidays in sunny climates have become more widely available and sunbathing has become more popular.

About half of malignant skin melanomas arise from pre-existing moles. Nearly everyone has pigmented moles, but only one in a million becomes malignant.

Hairy moles hardly ever turn into malignant melanomas. Once you are suspicious of changes in a coloured skin mole, don't delay in reporting the condition for an expert opinion. The outlook in any case of malignant melanoma depends on the thickness (depth) of the tumour, so early detection and treatment is critical.