What is the most common cause of cutaneous melanoma?

What is the most common cause of cutaneous melanoma?

What is the most common cause of cutaneous melanoma?

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays is a major risk factor for most melanomas. Sunlight is the main source of UV rays. Tanning beds and sun lamps are also sources of UV rays. While UV rays make up only a very small portion of the sun’s rays, they are the main cause of the damaging effects of the sun on the skin.

How deep is a wide local excision for melanoma?

based on the Breslow thickness of the primary tumor. Margin width should be 1 cm for melanomas 1 mm thick, 1 or 2 cm for melanomas 1 to 2 mm thick, and 2 cm for melanomas 2 mm thick. The margin width for wide local excision of a melanoma in situ should be 5 mm.

How long can melanoma go untreated?

Melanoma can grow very quickly. It can become life-threatening in as little as six weeks and, if untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body.

What is the epidemiology of cutaneous melanoma?

Epidemiology of Melanoma – Cutaneous Melanoma – NCBI Bookshelf Melanoma is a potentially lethal cancer that is most commonly cutaneous. The worldwide incidence of melanoma has risen rapidly over the course of the last 50 years. Its incidence is greatest among fair-skinned populations, and in regions of lower latitude.

What are the stages of melanoma skin cancer?

Melanoma Skin Cancer Stages. After someone is diagnosed with melanoma, doctors will try to figure out if it has spread, and if so, how far. This process is called staging. The stage of a cancer describes how much cancer is in the body. It helps determine how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it.

Which is the outermost layer of skin in melanoma?

Melanoma staging can be very complex, so if you have any questions about the stage of your cancer or what it means, ask your doctor to explain it to you in a way you understand. The cancer is confined to the epidermis, the outermost skin layer (Tis). It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes (N0) or to distant parts of the body (M0).

How big does a melanoma tumor have to be for it to spread?

The tumor is no more than 2mm (2/25 of an inch) thick and might or might not be ulcerated (T1 or T2a). The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes (N0) or to distant parts of the body (M0) II. The tumor is more than 1 mm thick (T2b or T3) and may be thicker than 4 mm (T4).