What Is Melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of cancer that develops within the melanocytes, or pigment cells, in the skin. Your melanocytes are responsible for the production of melanin, the coloring of your skin that protects you from UV radiation in sunlight and other sources. Whenever melanocytes combine, this forms freckles and moles.
Most moles are safe. Some can even be birth marks. However, whenever the melanocytes within the mole start to grow larger and divide wildly, this can cause problems. This unregulated growth can make the mole expand outward over the skin or go farther down into the layers of the skin, potentially becoming cancerous.
Melanoma will grow rapidly if left untreated. It may even spread to the lowest layer of your skin, the dermis, and can enter into your bloodstream or the lymphatic system.
