How fast skin cancer can spread

Basal cell or squamous cell cancer forms in cells that do not make pigment. Both types usually occur in skin that has been exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or tanning beds, most commonly on the face, neck, hands, and arms and legs. Skin cancers are more common than all other cancers combined, and, collectively, their incidence is rising faster than that of any other cancer.

Learn about skin cancer and find information on how we support and care for people with skin cancer before, during, and after treatment. Clinical Trials Questions? New Patient Appointments As a new Dana-Farber patient, find answers to questions about your first visit: what to bring, how to find us, where to park, and how to prepare. When the Monument, Colorado native was diagnosed with melanoma in , he was given a bleak prognosis due to the advanced stage of the tumor — it had already reached stage IV.

But the mole resurfaced, bigger than it had been originally. After a biopsy and imaging tests, doctors told Leland it was melanoma, and that it had already spread.

He could have as few as six weeks to live. He still goes in for treatments, but five years after his diagnosis, he is leading an active, full life. To fully comprehend the significance of timing, it can be helpful to understand exactly what happens to a melanoma when it advances to a later stage, and what it means when a melanoma spreads beyond the original tumor site.

A melanoma in its earliest stages is localized. The very earliest melanomas stage 0 do not even extend past the top layer of the skin, the epidermis. If a tumor penetrates deeper, into the dermis, it is considered invasive stages I and II. On average, the estimated five-year survival rate for melanomas detected while still localized is very high: about 99 percent in the U. Marghoob stresses the importance of protecting the entire surface of the body, including areas with many moles and areas without any moles.

Stay safe by applying broad-spectrum sunblock with an SPF of at least 30, wearing sun-protective clothing, or using a combination of the two approaches. In addition, any spot that has changed in some way should prompt a visit to your local doctor. While some subtypes of melanoma do grow extremely fast, says Dr.

Marghoob advises checking your skin on a monthly basis. Most people can take the time they need to meet with doctors and understand their options. Melanoma on the skin can spontaneously regress, or begin to, without any treatment. Unfortunately, sometimes this happens only after the disease has spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, bones, or brain. The Melanoma on my stomach looked like a mole.

Past August, it looked like my skin was tan in mid chest. A biopsy revealed Melanoma. It was excised and margin's were clear. Three month checkup was good. A biopsy revealed more Melanoma. I was sent to VCU to a specialist.

I went for annual skin exam, age 65, all clear. As I was leaving, my dermatologist spotted a tiny pink spot on my jawline. A birthmark on my arm changed shape and developed a black spot. Lymph nodes were removed, two had melanoma. Six months later PET showed melanoma in spleen.