I recently found out my grandma has melanoma skin cancer?

Question

Can someone give me info or explain the desease no one in ly fam has ever had it I am worried, she had a bithmark in her arm that turn into a mole we tok it to get tested it came out positive. It got black and red and bled blood frequently she got it removed, what are somet reatments, and what is this cancer someone help me understand more about this desease anything help thank you

Answer 1

What is malignant melanoma?

Melanoma skin cancer starts in the melanocyte cells of the skin. The skin protects our body from heat, injury, infection, water loss and sunlight. Its outermost layer is called the epidermis, which consists of flat, scaly squamous cells. Squamous cells contain a protein (keratin) that makes the skin strong, but flexible. Basal cells and melanocytes (the cells that give the skin its colour) lie deeper in the epidermis. Beneath the epidermis is the dermis that contains nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, sweat glands, oil glands and hair follicles.

Melanocytes produce a pigment called melanin that gives the skin its colour and protects it from sun damage. When skin is exposed to the sun, it produces more pigment and tans. Melanocytes often cluster together and form moles (nevi). Most moles are benign, but some may go on to become malignant melanomas.

Melanomas are divided into 4 main types, depending on their location, shape and whether they grow outward or downward into the dermis:

- Superficial, spreading or flat: grows outwards at first to form an irregular pattern on the skin with an uneven colour
- nodular: lumpy and often blue-black in colour may grow faster and spread downwards
- acral melanomas: occur on the palms of the hand, soles of the feet or nailbeds
- lentigo maligna: usually occur on the faces of elderly people
- Melanoma can also start in the mucous membranes of the mouth, anus and vagina, in the eye or other places in the body where melanocytes are found.

What treatment will you have for malignant melanoma?

Once your doctors know the type and stage of your cancer, they will decide which treatment will work best for your type of cancer, and any other health issues you may have.

How thick a melanoma is (breslows thickness) is the most important factor in deciding on the best treatment. You will be encouraged to help make the final treatment choices.

As cancer patients often have a combination of treatments, your treatment may include:

surgery
biological therapy
chemotherapy
radiation therapy

Answer 2

Hello...well I can say it all depends on what phase she's in. There's phases 1 and 2 where they are normally nothing to worry about and can be cured with treatment. Phase 3 is the more harder one to cure, it's where the body tends to put up a battle for about 2-5 years. And if someone reaches phase 4, sad to say they may only have 2 months to one year to live. I fully understand what you're going through. My uncle tried to fight melanoma phase 3 until the last two weeks of his life. He was only 53 years old and like a father to me more than an uncle. He tried alternative medicene and very few drugs prescribed by pharmacists because he knew about the real ingredients in pharmacy drugs. He loved the sun as a teenager and hanging his left arm out the window while driving everytime. A freckle turned into a mole, mole turning into melanoma. He was a little suspicious of the "freckle" in August 2001, confirmed it was melanoma in 2003, and passed away in May 2005.

My main concern for your grandmother is to find out what stage her melanoma is in and make sure she's wearing long sleeve shirts even in the winter time. And try to keep her in the shade as well as much as possible. Those few things will help prolong a little more. Hope this information serves you well, and I wish you and your family lots of leads to cures and hope.

Answer 3

Lets put it this way...

Moles on her skin will begin to look strangely shaped... and larger than usual. Thats the most obvious sign. Splurgy dark patches on the skin are a pretty obvious sign of melanoma.
On its own it doesn't tend to do much... but the cancer from the skin can easily spread to other parts of the body, become other kinds of more deadly cancer... and generally become problematic.

My grandfather had melanoma from working on rooftops all day... He was given a few months to live, but that was several years ago and he is just fine now... A bit of chemotherapy can help... and generally parts of the skin have to be surgically removed.

Answer 4

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes and, less frequently, of retinal pigment epithelial cells (of the eye, see uveal melanoma). While it represents one of the rarer forms of skin cancer, melanoma underlies the majority of skin cancer-related deaths.Despite many years of intensive laboratory and clinical research, the sole effective cure is surgical resection of the primary tumor before it achieves a thickness of greater than 1 mm.

Melanoma of the skin accounts for 160,000 new cases worldwide each year, and is more frequent in white men. It is particularly common in white populations living in sunny climates According to the WHO Report about 48,000 deaths worldwide due to malignant melanoma are registered annually.

The diagnosis of melanoma requires experience, as early stages may look identical to harmless moles or not have any color at all. Moles that are irregular in color or shape are suspicious of a malignant melanoma or a premalignant lesion.

The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor; adjuvant treatment; chemo- and immunotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Apart from hereditary reason there are several reasons he disease can come. I suggest you contact a surgical oncologist immediately and have his evaluation by tests etc, and know the treatments. We should take it very seriously and do the needful as CANCER IS TILL A ENIGMA

Answer 5

Don't get too upset but take care. Get a doctors opinion about any skin changes or moles, rashes. That's the first step. I don't believe in tattoos due to anything entering the body is apt to bring on an infection. I won't argue with ta too artists, there isn't an argument. Keep your hygiene and skin clean. See a doctor regularly for check-ups. Have a nice day.

Answer 6

Melanoma is a cancer of the skin...most of the time it can be excised or (cut away) in total and need no further treatment. Exposure to the sun can cause it over the years. It is quite common. Here's site that will tell you about it.

http://www.melanoma.com/

Answer 7

hi Joe, it not an easy question to answer, just be there for her. she is more that likely worried sick. so look after her .