A doctor talked about the four external forms of melanoma

There are four different forms of external manifestation of skin cancer. This was reported on February 4 by Irina Gonchakova, a doctor of the highest category, dermatovenerologist.

"The first form is superficial spreading melanoma. It accounts for about 70% of cases of melanoma of the skin and in general has a relatively favorable prognosis, if timely treatment," she said in conversation with "Gazeta.Ru".

According to her, this form develops on externally unchanged skin or on the background of a mole. The doctor noted that such melanoma can look like a flat spot and have a bumpy surface.

The second variant of the external manifestation of skin cancer, the specialist called nodular or nodular melanoma. She noted that this form is a dense nodule with a bumpy surface, the size of which varies. She specified that the surface of the formation is covered with ulcers and crusts and bleeds.

The third form is called lentigo melanoma, it is rare and develops more slowly than the others. The formation occurs on the background of primary pigment spots, lentigo. Gonchakova specified that this form can look like a brown spot with dark inclusions. It can be detected only by dermatoscopic examination.

The fourth form of external manifestation of skin cancer is acral lentiginous melanoma, which forms in the area of hands and feet, as well as at the nail bed and proximal shaft. The doctor indicated that this melanoma can appear as forms one and three.

"This type of tumor is characterized by a more aggressive course, metastasizes more often and earlier, in addition, the specific localization makes it difficult to visualize the tumor, and in most cases it is diagnosed already at the stage of intensive growth," Gonchakova added.

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Earlier, on January 29, dermatologist at DocMed clinic Ekaterina Kandinskaya shared five signs by which you can identify a cancerous mole. According to her, in this case can help self-examination of the skin, as well as the ABCDE rule, in which each letter indicates one of the specific signs - asymmetry of the formation, boundaries, color, diameter, as well as its "evolution".