Melanoma Research Paper

The effects of melanoma can be deadly. Melanoma is a cancer where the cancer cells begins to developed in melanocytes, the pigmented cells that give humans their skin color (Sutton and Frey, par. 1). Melanoma patients were first operated on by a British surgeon in 1787 (par. 20). Patients who have irregular shape moles in their body are at high risk of developing melanoma (Silberman, par.2). The risks of having melanoma include, infection, and cause parts of your body to grow bigger than the other (par.8). There are four different types of melanoma. In 70 percent of most cases of melanoma, superficial spreading melanoma is found the most in young adults; a second form of melanoma starts of as a flat or slightly raised tan, and it is mostly found in older adults; a third form of melanoma begins under the nails and is the most common type

Research found that people who use tanning machine before the age of 35 have an 87 percent chance of developing melanoma (par.18). Most melanoma cells make melanin, so the tumors are usually brown or black. Not every melanoma makes melanin so it can appear pink, tan, or even white (American cancer society, par.10). Melanoma form in other parts of the body such as the eyeball, mouth, private area, and but area. There is slight chance that it may never happen (par.13). A drug designed to treat metastatic melanoma has produced dramatic results in patients with melanoma (Silberman, par.12). J. Leonard Lichtenfeld a medical officer at the American cancer society (Stein, par.8) said “this is a very exciting and important study in a disease that for decades has resisted any meaningful treatment when it has spread through the body” (par.10). Sixty eight thousand Americans are diagnosed with melanoma every year; 8700 are dead from the disease. It is one of deadliest forms of cancer, despite years of research