Melanocytes are pigment cells that produce a special pigment called melanin. Melanin is responsible for deciding the skin color which is found in the underneath layer of epidermis. Melanoma is the term given for cancer that develops on the melanocytes. Nodular melanoma appears on the skin in the form of large sized mole. It occurs largely on fair complexioned people and is a type of skin cancer. It is difficult to detect and diagnose nodular melanoma since it resembles a mole causing no symptoms. Melanoma is characterized with irregular borders, change in color and growing size of lumps. In some cases, nodular melanoma spreads to nearby parts and lymph nodes causing complications. Treatment for nodular melanoma is surgical excision of affected skin area.
Who Are At Risk ?
Anyone can get nodular melanoma irrespective of age and sex. People belonging to white origin or fair skinned people and those with light hair color are at risk. Further people born to parents with melanoma and those with large number of moles in their body are at high risk of nodular melanoma. People with large sized moles and those with funny shaped moles are also at high risk. Adults above 55 years and those with history of melanoma are prone to nodular melanoma.
If any of you could find any changes in skin color or any suspicious spots on your skin, it should be consulted with your doctor without delay. Your doctor would observe it and if necessary do a biopsy to check whether it is melanoma/skin cancer or not. Nodular melanoma is a potentially serious skin cancer and if diagnosed early, can be cured. It can progress deep inside your skin affecting vital organs and nearby lymph nodes. Over weeks, the lesion which you observed as small mole can grow into large sized lump rapidly spreading inside the nodes. Hence it is better to prevent skin cancer than to treat it.