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Melanoma
Is melanoma flat or raised?
Melanoma generally is not flat, also known as malignant melanoma, which is a highly malignant cancer originating from melanocytes, commonly occurring in the skin. Men over the age of 60 are a high-risk group, with the most commonly affected areas being the lower limbs and feet, followed by the trunk, head and neck, or upper limbs. Symptoms mainly include rapidly growing melanotic nodules. Initially, normal skin becomes heavily pigmented, or pigmented moles darken and increase in pigment. The skin lesions continually enlarge and harden, accompanied by itching and pain. The lesions of melanoma may be raised, patchy, or nodular, and some may even resemble cauliflower.
How to distinguish whether melanoma is benign or cancerous
Melanomas are always malignant; there are no benign melanomas. Benign lesions are called pigmented nevi, which are usually classified into three types: intradermal nevi, junctional nevi, and compound nevi. When a pigmented nevus becomes malignant, it is then referred to as melanoma. Therefore, in clinical practice, when we mention melanoma, we are referring to malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is staged based on the degree of invasion and whether it has metastasized. Treatment methods vary depending on the stage, and there are differences in treatment approaches. Therefore, if a pigmented nevus visibly enlarges over a short period, and shows symptoms such as ulceration, bleeding, or pain, it is necessary to promptly visit a reputable hospital's dermatology department for surgical removal, followed by a pathological examination.
Is laser treatment or surgical removal better for melanoma?
Regarding whether laser treatment or surgical excision is better for melanoma, the answer is clear: surgical excision is better. Melanoma originates from melanocytes and is not limited to one layer of the skin. Therefore, for melanoma of the skin, the infiltration depth can sometimes be profound, reaching the dermis layer. Laser treatment sometimes only covers a superficial depth, which cannot achieve complete removal. Surgical excision can completely remove deeper infiltrative parts of the melanoma, and after the excision, complete tissues can be obtained for pathological examination, which helps in staging after the surgery and guides treatment post-surgery. Laser treatment does not offer these benefits. Therefore, current guidelines recommend surgical excision for the treatment of melanoma and do not recommend laser treatment.
Is melanoma flat or raised?
Melanoma is generally raised and does not have a fixed shape. In the early stages of local growth, melanoma appears flat. As the tumor grows and proliferates, some protrusions may occur, but protrusions should not be equated with malignancy. If a previously flat mole suddenly becomes raised, one should be vigilant about the possibility of malignancy. However, a raised mole is not necessarily melanoma; there are some intradermal nevi or benign skin lesions, and other types of skin cancers can also manifest as raised changes. Therefore, if there are some melanocytic nevi on the skin that quickly develop symptoms such as ulceration, bleeding, pain, or itching, it is important to promptly visit a dermatology department at a standard hospital for an examination and, if necessary, surgical removal and pathological investigation.
Does melanoma feel painful when pressed?
Melanoma is a highly malignant skin cancer, and clinically, some patients may experience pain when pressing on the lesion area. The reason for the pain is mainly due to the rapid growth of the melanoma, leading to compression of local tissues or the optic nerve and urgency, resulting in a painful sensation. This pain can exist even without pressing, and ulcerative lesions can occur in some affected areas, leading to symptoms such as pain, bleeding, and infection. In addition to pain upon local compression, patients with melanoma may also experience inflammatory changes such as redness, swelling, heat, and pain, causing some clinical symptoms of fever.
Can a melanoma heal by itself if it ruptures?
Melanoma cannot heal itself once it has ruptured. Melanoma is a type of malignant tumor, and if melanoma occurs, it is crucial to cooperate actively with the doctor to perform excision surgery. After the surgical removal, pathological examination must be carried out, and treatment should be sought promptly to avoid delaying the condition. If there is bleeding, ulceration, pain, or a significant increase in the size of skin pigmented moles, it is highly suspect for malignant transformation, and one should promptly visit a dermatology department at a formal hospital for examination. If malignant transformation is possible, it is critical to perform surgery early and conduct a pathological examination. The symptoms of melanoma are related to the age of onset; in younger patients, it usually presents as itching, changes in the color of the lesions, and expanding borders, while older patients typically exhibit noticeable ulceration of the lesions.
What are the symptoms of subungual melanoma?
Subungual melanoma, clinically, displays different symptoms depending on the stage. In its early stages, subungual melanoma primarily manifests as changes in nail color, with some cases showing localized thickening of the nail. As the melanoma progresses, abnormal secretions such as bloody or serous fluids may appear under the nail, and the nail itself may become uneven. As the subungual melanoma invades surrounding tissues, symptoms such as swelling, pain, or bleeding in the localized fingernail may occur. In advanced stages, symptoms of metastatic sites, such as coughing, chest pain, and chest tightness from lung metastases, can also manifest.
Can melanoma without metastasis avoid chemotherapy?
For patients with melanoma that has not metastasized, direct surgical removal can be performed, and chemotherapy is not necessary after surgery. Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates from melanocytes and can occur in many parts of the body, with melanomas of the skin and mucous membranes being the most common, accounting for about 70% of all cases. Once melanoma is diagnosed, if there is no distant metastasis to other organs, curative surgical removal can be performed. Postoperative treatment mainly involves immunotherapy, not systemic chemotherapy. For patients who are diagnosed with distant organ metastasis, systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy are required.
How to alleviate vomiting from melanoma
Melanoma is one of the malignant tumors, and if one contracts this disease, it is important to treat melanoma promptly as symptoms are not very pronounced in the early stages. In advanced stages, symptoms such as nausea and vomiting may occur, possibly due to irritation of the stomach. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy can all have side effects. It is also possible that the melanoma has metastasized, causing a feeling of vomiting. It is recommended that patients take antiemetic medication to treat this, and in terms of diet, eat foods that are beneficial for the spleen and stomach, such as coix seed, yam, millet, red dates, and black fungus, all of which can help alleviate discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract.
Melanoma check what items
If patients suspect that they have melanoma, they must go to a qualified hospital for examination. The diagnosis of melanoma mainly relies on visual inspection of colored moles that vary in color and shape, which can be directly observed with the eye. Also, if previously existing moles have enlarged or changed shape recently, these are signs that we need to pay attention to. If patients are suspected of having melanoma after a diagnosis, it is recommended to perform a complete excisional biopsy of the lesion, followed by a pathological examination after the surgery.