Melanoma (meaning black tumor) is not only the most malignant of all skin cancers, but it is also among the most malignant of all cancers. It can spread to nearly every organ and tissue in the body and can lead to death within a year after it recurs in distant sites. According to the American Cancer Society, the most recent estimates show that America alone has over 68,000 new cases of melanoma every year, and more than 8,500 deaths annually directly attributable to this type of skin cancer. The lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 1 in 50 for whites, 1 in 1000 for blacks, and 1 in 200 for Hispanics. Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates in melanocytes located in the epidermis. These melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, the pigment that colors the skin, and protects it from harmful ultra-violet rays. The majority of melanomas are brown or black. However, some are in the same color as the skin, or pink, red, purple, blue, or white. The usual sites of melanoma in white people include the head, neck, trunk, and limbs. In the black people, there is a good likelihood to show up on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and mucous membranes. These tumors can also show up in somewhat unusual locations, such as under the nail of a finger or toe and on the mucosa lining inside of the mouth, vagina, or anus. There are two phases of growth of melanoma - radially (outwardly on the surface of the skin) and vertically (deeply into the layers of the skin). Once the melanoma has penetrated deeply into the dermis of the skin, and has reached the lymphatic and blood vessels, the melanoma can utilize the lymphatics and bloodstream to spread to distant locations, most commonly to the lungs, liver, and brain. It is said to metastasize. For patients with a melanoma less than 1mm thick, the likelihood of death due to the disease is only about 10%. However, this would rise to about 30% for a tumor with a thickness of 3mm. Though we come across melanoma as a deadly skin cancer, there is a lot of hope for a 100 percent cure if it is detected and treated early. As a matter of fact, more than 90% of patients are alive for five years or more following their first diagnosis of melanoma. Read more... At Health Mission, we pride our work in delivering the latest research and information on health and beauty. In this case, it is on skin diseases and cures. Our mission is to add value by providing original, quality, and truthful information to the audience. www.WhatDoesMelanomaLookLike.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jun_Walker/459489 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3339835

Neva noticed a quarter inch mole on her thigh and after a visit to her doctor was told that it was melanoma. The doctor suggested surgery and chemotherapy, but Neva opted for a wheatgrass juice therapy instead. Even though the mole was only a quarter of an inch in size, the doctor wanted to cut out an area 3-5 times that. This would have meant removing some muscle and also some lymph nodes. He than planned a skin graft to cover the area followed by a full chemotherapy and radiation program. This sounded far too drastic, so Neva opted to just have the quarter inch mole removed. She got a kinesiologist to check out which grasses would be suitable for her and ended up growing barley grass and kamut. When she didn't have any fresh grass available she took powdered grass. She also added a few herbs to the therapy. Neva took 8 ounces of wheatgrass daily; all in one go on an empty stomach. Even though her husband was healthy, he also drank 8 ounces of wheatgrass a day. Even though that amount of wheatgrass juice in one go would sometimes cause nausea and dizziness, she felt it was worth it, as she assumed it was the liver dumping its toxins. After a while both Neva and her husband both noticed that they had softer hair and skin. Neither of them could figure out anything that could have caused this, apart from the wheatgrass juice. A year and a half later Neva went back to her doctor. He completely dismissed her wheatgrass therapy and said that the mole removal is probably what saved her life. So much for the dismissive attitude of modern medicine! Pea Neng has an avid interest in health and alternative healing. If you want to lose weight fast [http://weightmanagementprograms.net/lose-weight-fast.html] or find out about which lose weight program [http://weightmanagementprograms.net/lose-weight-program.html] is right for you, then he has some great articles to browse. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Pea_Neng/485171 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3337708

Here are nine more things you may not know about melanoma:

• The skin disease will affect about 54,500 persons in the United States of America, resulting in more than 8,500 deaths.

• It can affect adults of all ages, even young individuals (from mid-teens).

• The individuals most likely to develop melanoma are those with fair complexions, red or blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles and who tan poorly and sunburn easily. Strong family history of melanoma is also a risk factor. Melanoma hardly ever occurs in Africans and Afro-Americans because they never sunburn.

• Always have a high index of suspicion for changing moles, especially if the edge is irregular and the color/pigmentation changes in any mole.

• The Paradox: 'Sun exposure is associated with increased survival from melanoma'. Why? Because one of sun's best effects is to increase Vitamin D, which has anti-cancer effects.

• It may spread via the lymphatic vessels or bloodstream. Once widespread disease to lungs, liver, bone and brain is established, the chance of a cure is low.

• The back is the most common site for melanoma in men. In women, the back and the lower leg (from knee to ankle) are frequent sites.

• Once diagnosed with melanoma, symptoms such as weight loss, malaise, headaches, visual difficulty, or bone pain may mean that the disease has spread to other parts of the body.

• It may occur even in normal skins. You have to see your doctor immediately if a mole or moles become bigger than 6 millimeters, starts bleeding or itching, changes color or the border becomes irregular. Any of these changes may mean that the mole/moles have become malignant melanoma(s).