National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Melanoma is the National Cancer Institute
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or "ugly looking."
Thinking of "ABCDE" can help you remember what to watch for:
- Asymmetry - the shape of one half does not match the other
- Border - the edges are ragged, blurred or irregular
- Color - the color is uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan
- Diameter - there is a change in size, usually an increase
- Evolving - the mole has changed over the past few weeks or months
Surgery is the first treatment of all stages of melanoma. Other treatments include chemotherapy and radiation, biologic, and targeted therapies. Biologic therapy boosts your body's own ability to fight cancer. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Start Here
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Melanoma
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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What You Need to Know about Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers(National Cancer Institute)
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Melanoma
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Melanoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- What Is Melanoma Skin Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
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Latest News
- Smartphone Apps for Skin Cancer Risk Aren't Reliable, Study Finds(01/16/2013, HealthDay)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- How Is Melanoma Skin Cancer Diagnosed?(American Cancer Society)
- Lymphoscintigraphy(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Melanoma(College of American Pathologists) - PDF
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Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy(National Cancer Institute)
- Skin Biopsy(Logical Images)
- Skin Examinations(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Staging: The First Step in Treating Skin Cancer(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Treatment
- Chemotherapy: What Every Patient Should Know(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Drugs Approved for Melanoma(National Cancer Institute)
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Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Melanoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- New Drugs for Late-Stage Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Treatment of Melanoma Skin Cancer by Stage(American Cancer Society)
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Prevention/Screening
- Body Mole Map(American Academy of Dermatology) - PDF
- Can Melanoma Skin Cancer Be Prevented?(American Cancer Society)
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Common Moles, Atypical Moles (Dysplastic Nevi), and Risk of Melanoma(National Cancer Institute)
- Who Is Most at Risk for Melanoma?(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Coping
- How to Cope with a Melanoma Diagnosis(Melanoma International Foundation)
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Disease Management
- What Happens after Treatment for Melanoma Skin Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
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Specific Conditions
- Eye Melanoma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Four Types of Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Hidden Melanomas(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Malignant Melanoma of the Foot(American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
- Also available in Spanish
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Related Issues
- Melanoma and the Environment(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Melanoma: How It Returns, Where It Spreads(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Moles (Nevi)(American Academy of Dermatology)
- When to See a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Melanoma(Logical Images)
- Melanoma: What It Looks Like(American Academy of Dermatology)
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What Does a Mole Look Like?(National Cancer Institute)
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What Does Melanoma Look Like?(National Cancer Institute)
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Health Check Tools
- Melanoma Cancer Risk Questionnaire(Siteman Cancer Center)
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Tutorials
- Melanoma(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Videos
- Examine Your Skin(Melanoma International Foundation)
- If I Had - A Changing Mole(Insidermedicine)
- If I Had - A Mole in My Eye(Insidermedicine)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Eye Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Melanoma(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Eye Neoplasms
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Genetics
- Genetic Testing for Melanoma Has Limits(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Genetics of Melanoma(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Research
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Genome-Wide Scan Reveals Mutation Associated with Melanoma(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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New Therapies Offer Valuable Options for Patients with Melanoma(National Cancer Institute)
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Researchers Uncover New Mechanism of Resistance to Melanoma Drug(National Cancer Institute)
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Study Suggests Smaller Melanoma Excision Margins May Be Option for Some Patients(National Cancer Institute)
- What's New in Research and Treatment of Melanoma Skin Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
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Genome-Wide Scan Reveals Mutation Associated with Melanoma
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Glossary(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms
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Directories
- Find a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Organizations
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Statistics
- Melanoma Trends(American Academy of Dermatology)
- Skin Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Skin Cancer Trends(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
- What Are the Key Statistics about Melanoma Skin Cancer?(American Cancer Society)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Children
- Moles in Children: What Parents Should Know(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Teenagers
- Melanoma(Nemours Foundation)
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Men
- More Men Developing Melanoma(American Academy of Dermatology)
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Patient Handouts
- After chemotherapy - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Melanoma
- Also available in Spanish
- Melanoma of the eye
- Also available in Spanish
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Understanding Chemotherapy
(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
- Return to top
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
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Melanoma - Multiple Languages
