AN alarming time-lapse video shows how a tiny dark patch of skin can morph into killer melanoma cancer over a decade.
Doctors urge us all to be on the be on the lookout for new moles or changes to existing ones, which are red flag symptoms for melanoma.
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But the eye-opening clip sheds light on just how subtle and gradual these skin changes can be.
Catching melanoma skin cancer early can make big difference to how treatable it is, so it’s important you get new or changing moles checked out by a GP as soon as you notice them.
Melanoma is not the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with about 16,000 people diagnosed with it each year.
Melanoma UK warns that cases are rising too.
And while the risk of melanoma increases with age, the charity said “the number cases diagnosed in young people is disproportionately high”, becoming one of the most common cancers in people aged 15 to 34.
It comes after scientists recently began testing a personalised mRNA cancer jab for melanoma on British patients.
The “gamechanger” mRNA vaccine also has the potential to stop bladder, lung and kidney cancer.
Put together by Dr Christopher Chang, a consultant at Fauquier ENT, the chilling time lapse used AI to show what melanoma skin cancer could look like as it develops over 10 years.
“Obviously, such a time lapse can not be realistically accomplished as there is no way to know if any given area of skin will turn into cancer,” he wrote.
The clip shows a small patch skin that gradually darkens, progressing from stage 0 to stage 4 melanoma as a mole forms.
At first, the patch of skin looks like a freckle or age spot and is barely visible against the rest of the skin.
It isn’t until year six of the time lapse that the mark has developed into stage 0 melanoma, with the slightly oblong patch of skin taking on a light purplish-brown hue.
Doctors often use a numbered staging system to describe the skin cancer.
At stage 0, cancerous cells are only present on the top layer of the skin – the epidermis – and has not spread to the layer below, called the epidermis.
This is also referred to as melanoma in situ, according to Melanoma UK.
“People with melanoma in situ do not usually have any risk of the melanoma spreading to other parts of the body,” it said.
After year six of the time lapse, things progress more quickly.
By year seven, the spot has grown a little larger and darkened, developing into stage 1 melanoma.
At this point, melanomas tend to be no more than 2mm thick and have not spread, according to Melanoma UK, though they may show signs of ulceration.
At the stage 2, the time lapse shows that the melanoma has darkened considerably.
It has an uneven border and is two different colours, both of which are key melanoma red flags.
At stage 2, melanomas are usually thicker than stage 1 but have not spread to other parts of the body.
But by stage 3, the cancer will have spread to the lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes closest to the melanoma, Melanoma UK explained.
The time showed the mole getting darker and thicker at this stage, with a reddish border.
By year nine, the melanoma progressed to stage 4, developing a crusty, dark surface and taking on an almost black hue.
Stage 4 melanoma means the cancer has spread to other organs such as the lungs, liver, bones or brain.
This is called metastatic melanoma.
WHEN SHOULD I SEE A GP ABOUT POSSIBLE SKIN CANCER SYMPTOMS?
Some melanomas develop from existing moles.
But the rest grow on what was previously normal skin.
You should see if you notice a:
- new abnormal mole
- mole that seems to be growing or changing
- change to a previously normal patch of skin
- a mole is itching or painful
- a mole is bleeding or becoming crusty
- a mole looks inflamed
- you have an unusual mark or lump on your skin that lasts longer than a few weeks – especially if you are immunocompromised
- you have a dark area or line under a nail that is not due to an injury
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The earlier a melanoma is picked up, the easier it is to treat and the more likely treatment is to be successful.
To assess whether a mole or mark has changed or needs a doctor’s attention, using the ABCDE method can be helpful.
What is melanoma, what are the symptoms and how can you prevent it?
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that has a tendency to spread around the body.
It is diagnosed 16,000 times per year, and tragically takes the lives of 2,340 people per year.
The number of people being diagnosed with melanoma is increasing, and it is the 5th most common cancer in the UK.
But it is also one of the most preventable cancers, with 86 per cent of cases in the UK avoidable.
The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun safe – wear SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses and keep out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advised to avoid sunbeds.
People who are fair-skinned, have blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to get skin cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, particularly if it is found early. This will involve removing the affected tissue in the skin.
Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try and stop the cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The key thing to look out for are changes to an existing mole, or a new mole on your skin.
Most experts recommend using the simple “ABCDE” rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body.
There are five letters/words to remember:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
A mole that changes size, shape or colour may be a melanoma.
But other signs to look out for include moles that are:
- Swollen and sore
- Bleeding
- Itchy
- Crusty
How deadly is it?
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer.
The outlook of a person’s disease depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed.
Survival is better for women than it is for men.
“We don’t know exactly why this is. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage,” says Cancer Research UK.
The charity says that generally, statistics show that in England, more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.
- Around 100 per cent in England diagnosed with melanoma at stage 1 – when the cancer cells are only in the top layer of skin – will survive for five years or more after diagnosis.This drops to 80 per cent for stage 2.
- Some 70 per cent live for a further five years when they are diagnosed in stage 3, which is when the cancer has started to spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- At stage 4, when the melanoma has spread elsewhere in the body, almost 30 per cent survive their cancer for 5 years or more.
Cancer Research says the stage 4 data does not account for age differences. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
What is melanoma?
Melanocytes are cells in the skin that give us the colour of our skin because they produce a pigment, known as melanin.
When you sit in the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (a sun tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun’s rays.
But melanocytes are also where cancer starts.
Too much UV causes sunburn, and this is a sign of damage to the skin’s DNA.
The UV triggers changes in the melanocytes, which makes the genetic material become faulty and cause abnormal cell growth.
People who burn easily are more at risk of skin cancer because their cells do not produce as much pigment to protect their skin.
Those with albinism are at the most risk because their skin produces no pigment at all.
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