Melanoma - Symptoms

Melanin is a pigment responsible for coloring the skin, hair, eyes of a person. And disturbances in the development of this pigment can cause such a terrible disease as melanoma. Melanoma is a malignant tumor, in 90% manifested in damage to the skin. In 10% of cases melanoma can affect the eyes, gastrointestinal tract, spinal cord and brain, as well as mucous tissues.

Recently, in connection with the deterioration of the ecological situation, melanoma has become a fairly common disease, which annually takes a large number of lives. The main risk group are the elderly, but skin melanoma can occur at any age, from adolescence.

First signs and subsequent symptoms of skin melanoma

As a rule, patients late refer to specialists, and therefore the lethality of this disease is quite high. But since the symptoms of skin melanoma can be seen with the naked eye, it is not difficult to diagnose the disease in time. Let's see what signs and symptoms of melanoma should be paid attention to in time to see a doctor.

The most important symptom is the "degeneration" of the nevus (birthmark or birthmark). If you notice a change in appearance, then you should undergo a survey. Changes can be of various kinds:

• increased birthmark (birthmark);
• change of contours, appearance of asymmetrical (dentate) edges;
• changing the color of the birthmark to the side of darkening (sometimes it can be bright red or bluish);
• the change in the structure of the mole (birthmark) - begins to become wet, itchy, swollen;
• enlargement of lymph nodes against one of the above signs.

The growth of skin melanoma from a mole usually proceeds according to the following scenario: the mole, for no apparent reason or after trauma, begins to increase in size, change color and gradually increases, becoming a bulging tumor.

The following symptoms of melanoma are the most accurate for the diagnosis:

• hair loss on the skin of the nevus;
• peeling skin with the formation of "crusts";
• the disappearance of the skin pattern on the surface;
• occurrence of accompanying formations (satellites - rashes on the skin, near the tumor focus, retaining its initial coloration);
• shiny and smooth (mirror) surface of the mole.

Symptoms of subungual melanoma or melanoma of the nail

The cancer of the nail plate is approximately 3% of the total number of diagnosed formations. Symptoms of nail melanoma are as follows:

• most often this disease develops on the thumb;
• the nail darkens (or a distinct dark band appears);
• there is swelling of the finger;
• with the passage of time, the nail is cracked and a syphilis or pus is isolated;
• As the melanoma grows, it acquires a mushroom-shaped bluish-red or black color.

Symptoms of eye melanoma

Melanoma of the eye is a fairly common pathology. At first, almost no symptoms may appear. But the following signs can be alarmed:

• the appearance of a photopsy - color flashes, sparks, dots;
• deterioration of vision ;
• the appearance of metamorphosis - a distortion of the perception of quantities, dimensions, distances in spatial perception;
• the appearance of a "blind spot" in sight;
• possibly changing the pigmentation of the iris;
• opacification of the retina;
• swelling of the eye.

Some of these symptoms may appear before the tumor is fully formed and the possibility of diagnosing. Depending on the location of the tumor, it is possible and such manifestations of the disease:

• secondary glaucoma;
• hemorrhages in the eye;
• retinal disinsertion.