What is Melanoma?

Melanoma is a cancer of pigment producing cells. Most melanomas originate from the skin, though they can also arise from other parts of the body containing melanocytes, including the eyes, brain or spinal cord, or mucous membranes. Some melanomas are first detected when they spread to other parts of the body, without a documented primary tumor.

Melanoma of the skin is one of the most common cancers in the United States – among the top 10 causes of new cancer cases. While the overall five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with melanoma is high at 92 percent compared to 66 percent for all other cancers, the survival rate decreases dramatically once melanoma spreads to other parts of the body. Very early stage (localized, Stage I) melanoma is greater than 90 percent curable, while patients with disseminated Stage IV melanoma have a median life expectancy of less than one year.

The ability to spread widely to other parts of the body is a unique characteristic of melanoma that other common skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma do not possess. This characteristic makes melanoma the deadliest of all skin cancers, accounting for only four percent of all dermatologic cancers, but 80 percent of skin cancer-related deaths.

In the United States, an estimated 62,480 Americans will be diagnosed with new melanoma in 2008 – one every eight minutes; and approximately 8,420 Americans will die of melanoma – one every hour. And despite the tremendous advancements in medicine, the rate of death due to melanoma has remained the same over the past 30 years while the incidence is rising. More effective options for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment are urgently needed.

Download the Melanoma Backgrounder 

Helpful Links:
National Cancer Institute's Melanoma Page