Melanoma is one of the most severe skin cancers and a very common cancer type in humans. Although is can evolve at any age, it is more common in adults between 20 and 70 years old. It appears in the same frequency in men and women, especially with fair skin type.
It appears as a brown/black mole that changes color and shape, it can grow in short time and sometimes it itches or bleeds.
During the last decades the dermatologists observe an increase in the diagnosis of melanoma due to our habits to stay longer under the sun, the use of solariums and also due to severe sun burns in childhood of the patients.
In Larnaca we estimate 15 new melanoma cases each year and in Cyprus approximately 60-80 new patients each year.
Persons with fair skin type, blond hair, blue/green eyes, freckles, multiple moles and melanoma history in their family have double chances to develop melanoma.
Persons with more than 100 melanocytic nave on the skin or more than 5 dysplastic naevi have sixfold chances to develop melanoma.
Melanoma is treatable, especially if it is recognised early, the survival chances are 95%. On the contrary if it is diagnosed in an advanced stage the survival chances are less than 50% since it can metastasise in the internal organs.
With the digital dermoscope we have the opportunity to recognise a melanoma in an early stage or even recognise melanocytic naevi that are prone to change to melanoma (atypical naevi). Furthermore we have the opportunity to save the digital dermoscopical photos and compare the moles in the future if they change.
In the photos above you can see the dermoscopical images of 3 melanomas that were diagnosed in our office during clinical examination of patients.