In men it is found on the trunk or the head and neck. In women it mostly develops on the lower legs. It affects people of all age groups but is the most common type of cancer in young adults.

Numbers of melanoma cases are increasing every year. Even though it accounts for approximately 3 percent of skin cancer cases, it is responsible for maximum deaths. The cause of this disease is unknown but there are some risk factors that are associated with melanoma and they are given below.

• Many moles or some large moles
• Fair skin, freckling and light hair
• Family history
• Immune suppression
• UV radiation
• Age over 50
• Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) a rare genetic condition

A process of staging is followed to note how far the disease has progressed.

Stage 0 -- This is the beginning stage. It has not yet spread and limited to the epidermis or the outer skin.

Stage I -- The cancer has spread to the dermis layer but not yet reached the lymph nodes. Tumors are less than 1.5 mm thick.

Stage II -- The cancer has spread to the dermis layer but not yet reached the lymph nodes.
Tumors are more than 1.5 mm thick.

Stage III -- The cancer has spread to the lymph node closer to the affected skin area but not yet reached the distant areas of the body.

Stage IV -- The cancer has spread to organs such as the lung, liver, or brain and also to distant lymph nodes or areas of the skin.

Melanoma is known spread rapidly and likely to spread to lymph nodes and internal organs. Melanoma cancerous cells get selectively attracted to specific sites by organ specific molecules by a process known as chemo-attraction. Melanoma can spread silently and there may not be any external indication.

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