Metastatic melanoma is an advanced form of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
Melanoma begins in skin cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes make a pigment called melanin, which protects skin from the sun. They also produce moles, which are usually harmless but occasionally can become cancerous.
A melanoma can look like a mole. It is usually brown or black but can also be skin-colored, purple, blue, red, pink, or white.
Knowing the difference between a normal mole and a cancerous one, doing regular skin self-exams, and visiting a dermatologist for skin checks on a regular schedule can all be lifesaving.
How Does Metastatic Melanoma Differ From Melanoma?Melanoma is any cancer that originates in the melanocytes, while metastatic melanoma is melanoma that spreads from the skin to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bones, and brain.
Most people who develop melanoma — around 4 in 5 — get their diagnosis at an early stage, while the cancer is still localized.
Treatment at this point is straightforward (a doctor may simply cut the tumor out) and extremely effective, with a five-year survival rate of over 98 percent.
Metastatic melanoma is much harder to treat and more life-threatening, killing an estimated 9,300 people in the United States each year.
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