|
The earlier melanoma is detected the better the prognosis.
After melanoma has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer
cells have spread within the skin or to other parts of the body. The process used to find out whether cancer has spread within the skin or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. For a more complete overview of the stages of melanoma please see this link (National Cancer Institute). Skin exams are used to screen for skin cancer. Regular exams of the skin by both you and your doctor increase the chance of finding skin cancer early. Checking your skin every month can help you find changes that should be reported to your doctor. Regular skin checks by a doctor are important for people who have already had skin cancer. If an area on the skin looks abnormal, a biopsy is usually done. The doctor will remove as much of the suspicious tissue as possible with a local excision. A pathologist then looks at the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Most melanomas in the skin can be seen by the naked eye. Usually, melanoma grows for a long time under the top layer of skin (the epidermis) but does not grow into the deeper layer of skin (the dermis). This allows time for skin cancer to be found early. Melanoma is easier to cure if it is found before it spreads. |