The oncologist named groups of people susceptible to melanoma

Red-haired people have an almost four times higher risk of developing melanoma than dark-haired people. Skin cancer remains one of the most pressing problems of oncology in Russia. Despite the fact that this type of tumor is diagnosed only in 1-4% of patients, it is particularly aggressive and has unfavorable prognoses. Vadim Maklakov, an oncologist at SM Clinic, told Izvestia about the key aspects of the disease on April 16.

According to the expert, in recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of melanoma in Russia — by almost 33%. Every year, a tumor is detected in thousands of patients, especially among those who abuse sunbathing or frequent tanning salons.

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Melanoma develops from melanocytes, skin cells that produce pigment. Its main danger lies in the weak connection of cancer cells with each other, which contributes to the rapid spread of metastases to lymph nodes, liver, lungs and other organs. The tumor can occur not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes, including in the gastrointestinal tract, on the genitals and in the eyes. Even after successful removal of melanoma, some patients relapse within the first year, which highlights the severity of this disease.

"Both UVA (wavelength 400 nm) and UVB radiation (wavelength 300 nm) are harmful to the skin. The negative effect of ultraviolet radiation on the skin is primarily due to immunosuppression, namely, the suppression of immune killer cells. As a result, the body's defenses weaken and stop fully fighting the external aggressive environment," the oncologist warned.

He clarified that genetic predisposition and skin phototype also play an important role. Red—haired people have almost four times the risk of developing melanoma than dark-haired people, and blondes have 1.5 times the risk. Hereditary forms of melanoma can manifest themselves at a young age.

However, survival rates depend on the patient's gender and age. Women aged 30-40 years with stage I–II melanoma cope with the disease better than men, which is due to the protective effect of estrogens. However, at stage IV, the chances of survival for both sexes are equalized.

Early diagnosis remains a key factor in successful treatment. With timely detection and removal of a small tumor, the five-year survival rate exceeds 90%. However, with a melanoma size of more than 3.5 mm, this figure drops to 48%, and with metastasis, the average life expectancy is only 5-9 months. The expert recommends skin screening every three years until the age of 40 and annually after that age.

Despite the aggressiveness of melanoma, modern medicine has achieved significant success in its treatment. The breakthrough was immunotherapy, the discovery of which was awarded the Nobel Prize.

"Immunotherapy successfully treats not only melanoma, but also small cell lung cancer. And in the future, we hope, there will be other dangerous oncological diseases," the oncologist concluded.

Earlier, on April 12, Svetlana Petrova, a dermatologist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia about the mandatory rules for sun protection. She explained that sunscreens should be applied 15 minutes before going outside to all exposed areas of the body: face, arms, neck and other areas not covered by clothing. In addition, when actively staying in the sun, especially on the beach, the cream needs to be renewed every 1.5–2 hours or after each swim. However, in urban environments, with periodic outdoor activities, re-application is usually not required.