Melanoma

Malignant melanoma is an aggressive, and in many cases therapy-resistant, malignancy of melanocytes, creating a costly and significant clinical problem for any healthcare system. The rapidity with which melanoma can invade the dermis probably depends on multiple factors, including the proliferative rate of the tumor cells, the degree of neoangiogenesis, and the ability of the surrounding tumor microenvironment to permit or impede the migration of malignant cells. Malignant melanoma during pregnancy is a difficult problem as a variety of risks to both the mother and fetus must be weighed. Pediatric melanoma, although rare, is the most common skin cancer in children. Screening and early detection programs can ideally detect nearly all melanoma at a curable and early stage. Dermatoscopy is a simple technique that utilizes incident light magnification with the addition of a liquid at the skin-microscope interface. Dermatoscopy improves the diagnostic accuracy of all pigmented skin lesions including melanoma.