10 Horrific Melanoma Facts That’ll Probably Shock You

Cancer is a scary concept. It’s something that affects millions of people across the world, yet truthfully many still live day to day without knowing much about the disease.

Melanoma is a particular type of cancer that affects the skin, and we’re here to help you expand your knowledge about it.

Melanoma Facts

1 Average survival rates have increased drastically from even six decades ago, with a rate of about 91%.

2 It’s estimated that 9,940 people will die from melanoma in the United States in 2015.

3 The primary method doctors use in treatment is surgical removal of the affected areas, though other treatments, such as chemotherapy, may be used depending on the stage of melanoma.

4 People with blue eyes are at an increased risk of melanoma.

5 The American Academy of Dermatology released a helpful mnemonic for detecting melanoma: Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving (ABCDE).

6 Melanoma means “black tumor”.

7 Regular use of sunscreen with at least 15 SPF is shown to reduce the risk of melanoma by more than 50%.

8 One person dies from melanoma every 57 minutes.

9 Melanoma can form on any part of the skin, even sections that aren’t typically exposed to the sun, like under the fingernails.

10 Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, with Melanoma predicted to account for 73,000 cases in the United States in 2015.

11 Melanoma is a cancer that specifically affects the melanocytes. These cells are what create the brown pigment in human skin labeled as melanin. This melanin also helps shield deep layers of the skin from harmful UV rays from the sun.

The 4 Stages of Melanoma: The Deadliest Form of Skin Cancer – Mayo Clinic

Richard W. Joseph, M.D., medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida talks about the most deadly form of skin cancer, known as melanoma. Here he explains the differences in the four stages of melanoma.