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submitted: 2008-04-06 03:43:12 | by: AdrianFletcher
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With more understanding of skin cancer, the extent to which it affects people becomes fully known. In fact, it is the most common form of cancer in the United States and Australia to date. It is also becoming increasingly prevalent in many other countries throughout the world.

Whilst this might be alarming, most forms of skin cancer are not life threatening and can be treated. The fact that most of the signs of the disease are on the surface of the skin means that they can be identified and treated early on with complete success.

However of the three types of skin cancer, malignant melanoma is potentially very serious and can be life threatening if not spotted early. This article will cover what is malignant melanoma , how it forms and how to prevent it.

There are two factors that are thought to cause cancer. These are your genetic makeup and exposure to one or more environmental conditions. As far as malignant melanoma is concerned, the environmental condition that causes the disease is ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB radiation - ultraviolet radiation on different wavelengths). We are exposed to UVA and UVB radiation everyday as it comes from the Sun.

Too much ultraviolet radiation can mutate the DNA of a cell, making it cancerous. The genes in the DNA that cause this become known as oncogenes. Cells that have undergone this transformation do not die but divide and proliferate. They grow at an unregulated rate. As they continue to multiply their growth can become invasive.

Invasive growth harms the surrounding tissues and organs. In some cases the cancerous growths can prevent the organs from functioning or can start to grow into the organs culminating with the destruction of the organ. Should the cancer get into the lymphatic system then it can spread throughout the body. When this occurs it becomes hard to stop the spread and difficult to treat.

So, whilst ultraviolet radiation and our exposure to sunlight is thought to be the primary environmental cause of malignant melanoma, there are a number of genetic factors that increase the risk.

Your skin type can mean you are more at risk to the disease. If you have pale skin that doesn't tan but burns easily in the sun then you are more at risk. If your skin has freckles or you have blond or red hair then you are more at risk. If you have lots of moles on your body you may also be at risk. However, it is thought that people born with moles on their bodies are at less risk. If anyone in your family has had skin cancer then your risk of getting the disease increases.

The first signs of a melanoma are typically a brown spot or mark on the skin. It may be hard to distinguish from other moles on your body but keep an eye on it. If it starts to change it's shape and grow into an irregular shape then it may be more than just a mole. If it starts to change color too then it may be more than a mole. If anything like this happens then see your skin specialist.

It is virtually impossible to completely avoid sunlight and thus prevent melanoma. The only thing that is practical is to take measure to avoid being over exposed to the Sun. This means always wearing a hat and sunglasses. Wear clothing that covers most of your body. Put sunscreen on areas that are not covered by the clothing, like the face or arms.

About the Author

Find more details on common signs and symptoms of skin cancer at http://symptomsofskincancer.net

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