Melanoma Research Paper

Many people think that is it possible to achieve a “healthy tan,” but this thought has been proven wrong. Overexpose to UV-A and UV-B rays from the sun lead to premature aging of the skin, as well as the possible formation of skin cancer, know as melanoma. An appearance of a tan is actually a stage of burning and damage to the skin. Although a tan may be desirable to many, the fact remains that more people need to be educated on the dangers of the sun’s harmful rays, and the possible health complications of overexposure.

The other cause is the degree of pigmentation of the skin. Individuals with the highest risk are people who live in sunny places and people who have fair skin. The areas of the body that are the most exposed to sunlight are the areas of the face and head. Here, cancer is more likely to develop. (Bair, 1991, P. 368).

Unlike other cancers which we can develop, melanoma can often be detected on the skin which allows doctors to treat it at its early stages resulting in less complications and lower death rates to patients, again if left undetected at its early stages this can easily spread to distant areas and distant organs. Once melanoma has spread to other areas of the body which is classified as stage IV it is diagnosed as

Although there are several types of skin cancer, the most aggressive form is melanoma. This cancer of the skin involves mass replication of the pigment producing melanocyte cells, which are located in the epidermis, below the basal layer. There are several factors involved with the onset of melanoma including, exposure to ultraviolet rays, genetic predisposition, numerous nevi (moles), immunosuppression, and environmental exposure to carcinogens.

The basic component in tanning is ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light, whether produced by a tanning unit or by the sun, contains two components; UVA and UVB. These are the two types of ultraviolet radiation that are known to negatively effect the skin. UVA has a longer wavelength that causes photoaging and can produce some melanomas. UVB has a shorter wavelength that also causes photoaging and has been implicated in skin cancers. Photoaging is the premature aging or deep wrinkling of skin. Indoor tanning units utilize both forms of light waves to tan a person with a minimized risk of sunburn. Tanning outdoors does not give you this option because the sun omits every type of UV rays, so a person is more likely to burn. A person’s skin epidermis consists of two layers: The germinative layer and the horny layer. Another name for the germinative layer is the “living layer.” And another name for the horny layer is the “dead” layer. When exposed to ultraviolet light, melanocytes in the germinative layer produce melanin that is absorbed by surrounding cells. Melanin is a dark pigment found in the pigment-bearing cells of the skin, and melanocytes are epidermal cells capable of synthesizing melanin. This creates a protective barrier from ultraviolet light reaching deeper into the layers of the skin. The pale pink melanin granules are stored in the core of keratin cells. UVA darkens the melanin,

As many as ninety percent of melanomas are estimated to be caused ultra violet (UV) exposure. This includes UV exposure from artificial sources, such as tanning beds. “Strong evidence now links tanning beds to melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer that afflicts nearly 69,000 Americans a year.”—USA Today. The more one tans and the younger one is your risk for melanoma increases. However, melanoma is increasing faster in women 15-29 years old, than in men the same age. Furthermore, 10,000 people die from melanoma. This is mainly caused because of tanning beds. As a matter of fact, a person dies every fifty minutes from melanoma, the second most common cancer. Tanning beds triple the risk of one getting melanoma. In fact, every time one goes and tans, the risk gets higher and higher. Following this further, more people get melanoma because of tanning beds than developing lung cancer because of

Have you ever felt the “false sense of security that [you] may not feel under direct sunlight” from a tanning bed (Jeffrey)? Your body relaxes, you feel serene, and you get a golden glow. Some teens strive for this feeling...and the tan. Tanning is the skin's response to injury, according to Arielle Kauvar, M. D. The exposure of UV rays over time can cause skin cancer. Skin cancer is the growth of abnormal growth of skin cells that forms in the tissue of the skin (Skin Cancer). Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, can come from UV rays. From 1998- 2008, the number of cases of Melanoma has increased by about

Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It develops when unrepaired DNA damage to your skin cells trigger genetic defects that lead you skin cells to multiply at a fast pace and form tumors. Melanoma can often resemble moles and some can come from previous moles. These melanoma moles can range in color from pink, red, brown, purple, white, blue and skin-colored, but more mostly seen as black or brown. It’s said that consumers who use indoor ultraviolent tanning devices are seven-four percent more likely to develop melanoma compared to someone who has never used a tanning bed before. Melanoma is usually caused from intense and over exposure to UV radiation. It has be estimated to kill around 10,000 individuals in the U.S. each year. The lifetime risk of melanoma is 1.5 times higher in males than in females. Melanoma is curable, if it is recognized early and

Melanoma is a dangerous invasive cancer which starts in melanin producing cells (melanocytes) usually located at the bottom of the skins epidermal layer. Although certain individuals have a genetic propensity for melanoma, it is usually triggered by excessive UV exposure from sunlight or tanning beds (Mayo Clinic, 2016a). At early stages it is relatively easy to treat, however, recurrences are common. At later stages melanoma treatments are less effective since it tends to metastasize and spread easily through the lymphatic system (Mayo Clinic, 2016a).. The root cause of malignant melanoma is due to mutations in the p53 gene protein which invariably leads to further mutations.

Indoor tanning exposes users to two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. UVA rays are suspected to be linked to the development of melanoma and other skin cancers. Worldwide, there are more skin cancer cases due to indoor tanning than there are lung cancer cases due to smoking. Tanning causes damage to the DNA in our skin cells, which leads to abnormal growth that could be benign or malignant. Tanning also weakens our immune system which compromises our body's capability of fighting against malignancies and cancer cells. There are two types of skin cancer that can be caused by tanning- basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. These types are treatable with early detection. Development of melanoma can be fatal."In the US alone, 419,254 cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning. Out of this number, 6,199 are melanoma cases" (Skin Cancer Foundation). It has been found that younger tanners are at higher risk of developing skin cancers from tanning, but with the high levels of UV exposure, any tanner should take

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. You can get melanoma from the sun, it can be genetic or from tanning beds. Melanoma is mostly on skin, but also found in eyes, under nails, and sometimes found in organs. It’s increasing to a lot of people under the age of 40, especially women. Melanoma can be in many places. Next, the sun and tanning bed increase your chances

The article “Melanoma: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments” written by Markus MacGill and reviewed by Dr. Helen Webberley is exactly what it states, an article on the integumentary disease melanoma. This article tells everything about melanoma, stating that it is a very deadly type of skin cancer. It is fortunate that it is the least common, however it is still responsible for the majority of skin cancer related deaths each year. Melanoma comes from pigment-producing cells that have mutated into a cancerous cell. They spread quickly, almost too quickly to catch. Skin cancer is first noticed by the look of the skin, then can be confirmed or denied with testing. Melanoma may not produce symptoms. Staying out of the sun for extended amounts of time is best when avoiding skin problems, especially skin cancer. Melanoma is seen mostly in people over the age of forty, and favors women. It can develop anywhere on the skin but does favor the trunk of men and the legs of women. Melanoma will form changes in existing moles on the skin. People should be checking for noticeable differences in skin constantly, especially those who have a known risk. Some early indicators of melanoma could be pale skin, light eyes, numerous moles, multiple freckles, sun exposure, light hair, age, and a few more. Sadly, most these are unavoidable.

Levit, E. K., Kagen, M. H., Scher, R. K., Grossman, M., & Altman, E. (2000). The ABC rule for clinical detection of subungual melanoma. Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, 42(2), 269-274. Retrieved 12 29, 2017, from

melanoma is its ability to metastasize to other areas of the body through lymph nodes. When this

Thesis: Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States but is highly curable if detected early and treated properly.