Melanoma Cancer Types

Question: what are some symptoms of melanoma or any type of cancer. i dont mean what a bad mole looks like but headache,? i dont mean what a bad mole looks like but headache, loss of hearing, depression, etc.

Answer: Well melanoma doesn't usually cause symptoms besides skin changes until pretty late on. Maybe a swollen lymph node I guess? But in general symptoms that can be from cancer- feeling tired a lot, swollen glands or lymph nodes, dizziness, etc. Here is a good list (better than mine) of some most common signs of cancer to see your doc about- http://www.mdanderson.org/patients_public/about_cancer/display.cfm?id=27D5C884-783A-11D4-AEC300508BDCCE3A&method=displayFull There are lots of things that cause what you described though- headphones turned too loud, hormones can cause depression, depression or hearing damage can cause headaches, etc. See your doctor if you're having these issues but I wouldn't worry about cancer at this point if thats all you have?

Question: skin cancer- melanoma? ok, knowing that melanoma is the fatal type of skin cancer... does it matter where its found? like with other cancers if its like anywhere near your spine or something then its a lot worse than anywhere else. is it the same with melanoma? does the place of the cancer make it worse or is it just that you have it kinda thing?

Answer: Actually, it doesn't really matter where it is found, it matters how deep, and if it has metastasized or not. That's what makes this kind worse.

Question: eye cancer, melanoma. Has anyone had this and what does the treatment involve? My mum has been told she has a melanoma at the back of her eye, a tumor, if anyone has had this, please would like some info on the types of treament you went through, and whether you beat this cancer. Very worried for my mums health, shes always having pains in her chest and eye.

Answer: I have a spot in the back of my eye that they're watching. I did ask the doctor about treatment options if it turns into something that needs treatment. One thing that they can do now is to use radioactive "seeds" for chemotherapy. I would imagine that something like this would be performed at a larger eye institute. Other options would be available if this failed.

Question: is there any alternative medicine for stage 4 "melanoma",type of skin cancer with liver & lung metases?

Answer: Hi gs a, I much recommend not to experiment, melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer and requires qualify medical processing. Any mole that is irregular in color or shape should be examined by a doctor to determine if it is a malignant melanoma, the most serious and life-threatening form of skin cancer. Following a visual examination and a dermatoscopic exam (an instrument that illuminates a mole, revealing its underlying pigment and vascular network structure), the doctor may biopsy the suspicious mole. If it is malignant, the mole and an area around it needs excision by a surgeon or dermatologist. The diagnosis of melanoma requires experience, as early stages may look identical to harmless moles or not have any color at all. Where any doubt exists, the patient will be referred to a specialist dermatologist. Stage 4 "melanoma" requires emphases and study. Please look article:http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/Melanoma_-_Saving_The_Melanin_Pigment_In_Skin/ Jason Homan

Question: Can repeatedly picking at a scab or sore cause skin cancer/melanoma? In 2005, there was a blackhead that I had on my back that I picked which later became a scab and then a scar. It became impulsive for me to steadily scratch and pick at the scar, starting the process all over again. I did this about 10 or 15 times within the past two years, and now in 2007, there is a brown, uneven, partially scaly and rough and partially flat patch left over. The last time I picked was January 18th. Now, what's terrifying me is that since it's on my back, I can't tell if the mark has gotten larger due to my constant picking or if my picking it has somehow caused it to transform into some type of skin cancer. It might sound silly, but since I found out that melanomas tend to look similarly, I have been absolutely scared. So my question is, can constant picking cause skin cancers like melanomas? I really need some peace of mind so I can stop worrying since I will not be able to see a doctor for a while.

Answer: No, you should be fine...you shouldn't have picked at your scab and then when it turned into a scar (because you were picking at your scab) it turned worse. Just leave it alone, put some vitamin E oil, or some scar remover on it and see if it changes in color at all. But please don't pick at it anymore. That is the worse thing you can do for your skin.

Question: What may be the cure for cancer finally found? Doctors have just discovered a cure for metastatic melanoma. A type of skin cancer. Basically, the doctors genetically re-engineered the AID cell to kill cancer cells. The HIV/AID cell does NOT infect the subject, but only seeks out cancer cells. My dad died from metastatic melanoma, so I thought I'd do some research. Now, this is still under testing.. So my question to you is, do you think this will work?

Answer: Honestly I think they already have a cure but there is more money in treating the disease than "curing" it. Do you realize that no disease can live in an oxygen rich environment? Even when patients have stage 4 ( terminal ) they still treat cancer. Why? Money that's why!!

Question: How does melanoma skin cancer spread? This type of skin cancer attacks melanocytes... right? Then what? THANKS!!!

Answer: Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, or color of an existing mole. It can also appear as a new, abnormal, or "ugly-looking" mole. Thinking of "ABCD" can help you remember what to watch for: A Asymmetry - The shape of one half does not match the other. B Border - The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred. C Color - The color is uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present . Areas of white, gray, red, or blue may be seen. D Diameter - There is a change in size. When melanoma develops in an existing mole, the texture of the mole can change. For example, it can become hard, lumpy, or scaly. Although a melanoma may feel different and may itch, ooze, or bleed, it usually does not cause pain. How is melanoma detected early? It is important that melanoma be detected as early as possible. The disease can be cured if it is diagnosed and treated when the tumor is thin and has not deeply invaded the skin. However, if a melanoma is not removed early, cancer cells can grow downward from the skin surface, invading healthy tissue. When a melanoma becomes thick and deep, the disease often spreads to other parts of the body and is difficult to control. To help detect melanoma at an early stage, individuals can regularly check their own skin for new growths or other changes. Changes in the skin or a mole found during a self-exam should be reported to the doctor without delay. The person may be referred to a dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the skin. People who have had melanoma have a high risk of developing a new melanoma. Also, those with relatives who have had this disease have a higher-than-average risk. It is especially important for these people to check their skin regularly and to have frequent medical exams. Some people have certain abnormal-looking moles, called dysplastic nevi or atypical moles, that may be more likely than normal moles to develop into melanoma. Most people with dysplastic nevi have just a few of these abnormal moles; others have many. They should examine these moles regularly for changes and consult their doctor for examinations.

Question: If I had some type of cancer that had gone to the stage of spreading to my lymph nodes would blood tests show? I have got lymph nodes in my groin area that I have not felt before. I noticed them about 6 weeks ago so went along to the Drs to have them checked out. I was suffering with a bad cold/flu type illness at the time and the Doc put it down to a viral infec. I have had lots of other odd symptoms: cold water running sensation through my arms, pins and needles in my hands and feet, dizzy, nausea, feeling of pressure and throbbing under my arms and in my groin. I have had Complete Blood Count, thyroid, liver and kidney function test, inflammation test, diabetes, anemia blood tests and a urine test. Everthing was normal including physical exams of stomach, strength and reflexes. I had a very close friend who died last year after finding a lump under her arm which she soon found out was melanoma cancer that had got to the stage of spread ing to her lymph glands. If I had cancer and it had got to the stage of spreading to my lymph glands would one of the tests I have had show an abnormality?

Answer: I would have thought the complete blood count would have shown a raised white cell count and other abnormal values. These too can be elevated with infection such as the flu virus so I would be optimistic as regard the normal results. All the symptoms you described can be put down to a viral infection, but your anxiety following your friend's cancer is perfectly understandable. You definitely should see your doctor again even if only to allay your fears and get some reassurance as to the lymph nodes Good luck!

Question: melanoma? and kidney cancer?...odds? I have kidney cancer and melanoma.....had the melanoma removed ( not staged yet but it was a 8MM on the Breslow scale and and Clarks level 3....then on a cat & mri scan they find a spot on my kidney....urologist says that they are almost always cancer, like 90% of the time. He's not certain if it's part of the melanoma or simply kidney cancer ( and I need the kidney removed) guess if it's matastasized (sp) melanoma it ain't good or even worth dealing with.....still I'm not certain how bad of shape I'm in if it is if it's the 2 different types of cancer?....anyone experienced with this situation or have an opinion? Thanks

Answer: Oh you poor thing. Well, I hope that spot on the kidney is nothing, but if it has to be cancer I hope it is kidney cancer and it is small. Metastatic melanoma is really bad news. Small kidney cancers that do not involve the renal vein do quite well. It is rare to have 2 primaries at the same time, but not completely unheard of. As for your melanoma, it you have no mets or lymph node involvement statistically where you stand now you have a 5-year survival rate of about 65%. Melanoma is a highly unpredictable disease and we do not have an effective treatment for it. Generally the outlook is not good, but very strange things do happen. I had a case about 2 years ago we initially thought was kidney cancer. This poor guy had a 28cm metastatic melanoma that had totally incased his left kidney and took 2 surgeons to get it out. The kidney was untouched by the cancer and completely healthy. The man is still alive and there are no other signs of the disease. His initial diagnosis was more than 30 years prior to this. In another case the primary site was under a fingernail and had been there over 30 years without any changes in appearance. The patient didn’t even know it was cancer until he had neurological symptoms and metastatic disease was found in several areas. Neither of these cases are typical, yet not totally surprising and are unexplainable.

Question: If I don't have any moles can I still get malignant melanoma? My understanding (based on what I'm not sure) is melanoma skin cancer develops in moles. Seeing as I do not have any moles does this mean I can't get this type of skin cancer? No one in my family has any moles either.

Answer: Moles are not always visible. I was told by my surgeon that everyone has around 30 - 40 moles visible or otherwise. The thing is with Malignant Melanoma that it can take up to 20 years from the time of getting sunburned to the Melanoma becoming active. This is not a disease that anyone should take a chance on whether they can see moles on their skin or not. I was diagnosed with it about 25 years ago and am so lucky to be here to tell you about it as I had the most deadly form so was not expected to survive more than a matter of weeks. No risks are worth taking, believe me. Look after your skin and show it the utmost respect.

Question: I am looking for a sterling silver cuff bracelet for Melanoma Cancer support. All I can find is Breast Cancer. My mom is fighting Melanoma Cancer that has spread to her lungs. I am looking for a specific type of bracelet to buy to show support. Everytime I see a sterling silver cuff bracelet it is in support of breast cancer, I would like to see my profits go to finding a cure for melanoma cancer. Althoough the color is black I would prefer a solid sterling silver cuff bracelet. The one I saw and loved had a silver awareness ribbon soldered on it. It was very classic looking and could be worn in at all types of occassions.

Answer: When my wife was treating at Mayo Clinic for colon cancer, we saw a ton of these for every type of different cancer. I have not been able to find similar things on the Internet (well sorta, but not as nice). You may want to find from their gift shop at Mayo Clinic if they sell direct or if you can get directed to who to purchase from. Here is a link to Mayo Clinic's web site. Good luck to both of you.

Question: What can help melanoma My brother in law is awaiting what stage it is. I know a lot but want to see if? anything I don't know that might help. Melanoma is skin cancer. I am not so sure he is open to alternative treatments as my sister is very medically oriented and I am certain they will do the standard treatment but want to know anyhow just in case. so what can help this type of skin cancer which is the worst kind.

Answer: There's not a lot you can do with regards to melanoma outside of traditional medical treatment and hoping. The cancer's aggressive and unless it's caught in the very early stages, can be quite deadly. A lot of people contract the cancer because of excessive exposure to UVA/UVB rays (from the sun) which cause mutation in the cells of the skin, and are often first recognized as a mole. What you can do is help raise awareness and realize the importance of wearing sunscreen ALL THE TIME, even when it's cloudy out (the rays penetrate the clouds and you can still get a burn).

Question: My 20 yr old son has stage 4 melanoma,has anyone out theregone thru this type of cancer and survived?

Answer: Your son's best chance at survival is to be accepted into one of the ongoing clinical trials for one of several new immunotherapy drugs currently being tried as treatments for metastatic melanoma. Joining a trial would not guarantee a cure but there have been some spectacular results in some of these trials. Do some research before picking just any clinical trial. There is a lot of info available on the more successful trials in you do searches by using the Dr's names. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/577986?src=mp&spon=30&uac=17184CT http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/melanoma http://www.cancer.gov/search/ResultsClinicalTrials.aspx?protocolsearchid=5099420 all the best to you both

Question: The Sunscreen Controversy: Sunscreen, skin cancer risk, and malignant melanoma? What's the deal? I've heard from many places that sunscreen can lower you chances of skin cancer. Then you hear that the FDA concludes that sunscreen alone doesn't do anything to prevent skin cancer. Then you hear others that say that sunscreen may even increase the likelihood of malignant melanoma, the most lethal of the three types of skin cancer, and that there's a difference between the underlying processes that cause sunburn and malignant melanoma and that stopping sunburn doesn't stop the latter of the two. They say that sunscreen helps prevent the two most common types of skin cancer, but may aggravate the most lethal of the three because of what it does with free radicals in the skin. So, what's the scoop on all this? If you get a sunscreen that not only blocks UVB but also UVA rays and apply it every two hours no matter what, would you still have this problem? What does one do to protect themselves?

Answer: I'm a firm believer in that sunscreen CAUSES cancer! Yes, there are cancerous skin issues without the use of sunscreen, however, there are MORE cases of cancer DUE to sunscreen! Not only are we blocking an important function when we use sunscreen, we are more predisposed for skin cancer. When one uses sunscreen, the sunlight cannot absorb through our skin, thus causing vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and prevent hypocalcemic tetany. It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts [4-6]. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults [3,7,8]. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D has other roles in human health, including modulation of neuromuscular and immune function and reduction of inflammation. Many genes encoding proteins that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis are modulated in part by vitamin D [4,6,9,10]. Many laboratory-cultured human cells have vitamin D receptors and some convert 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)2D [11]. It remains to be determined whether cells with vitamin D receptors in the intact human carry out this conversion- this is one reason why we see MORE cases of skin cancers than prior to the usage of sunscreen!

Question: New evidence points to McCain hiding a serious form of Cancer, should he release full medical records? Can you say President Palin? Big news for the start of the week. It looks like McCain tried to hide the type of Melanoma (Skin Cancer) he had. It's actually a very deadly form. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/us/politics/20health.html?hp

Answer: Spread the word high and low. He needs the sympathy vote real bad. This could be the October surprise everyone has been waiting for. He may have a chance after all, if you lump all the positive things about McCain and top it off with the cancer thing and success will be his. It may even convince me, but having Palin as a VP still makes it difficult.

Question: Do you think this is skin cancer[( melanoma)].....PLEASE help mee!!!!? my mom has a "mole" type thing....it is dark brownish. everyday now, it seems to be getting bigger, with little circlular things(the color of her skin [not brown]) growing out from the edges it isnt symmetric.. its been there a couple months, but just recently been growing. we will find out what it is on wednesday...but im really freaked out. and i really want to know now(i know that nobody on here will know for sure what it is but i just want to see what you think) and if it is melanoma how long is to long for *waiting. because she had it awhile. ^----IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ALL THAT, THEN JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ON SKIN CANCER----^^ THANK YOU

Answer: Dont listen to Johnny B, not to get your hopes down. what you're describing does sound like melanoma, yet again i would have to see it to determine it. dont get scared! melanomas are very treatable if caught on time!