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Melanoma
February 25, 2008 |
Dr. Michael Kim is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. He says he still sees
dozens of patients a year with skin cancer, especially Melanoma. “Melanoma is
the relatively deadly skin cancer and it has increasing prevalence in the past
couple of decades is very alarming.” It’s no secret that sun exposure is related
to skin cancer. But many other factors can play in when it comes to developing
Melanoma. Dr. Kim says, “It’s related to both genetics with family history, if
you have any problems with your immune system and it’s related to sun exposure.”
Melanoma is a skin cancer but because of its origin the cancer can quickly
spread. “Melanoma is derived from a different type of cells, the pigment cells
which are actually neuroendrocin cells or sells derived from your nervous system
rather than just skin cells so that’s why it has the propensity to spread,” says
Dr. Kim. And once Melanoma begins to spread, the cancer can attack several
different parts of the body. “Unfortunately it can spread almost anywhere,
brain, lungs, and intestines, throughout the skin sometimes lumps can develop
around the body. It’s very insidious. You can have a small mole and a couple of
years later it could spread throughout your body,” says Dr. Kim. If caught early
Melanoma can be treatable and there are symptoms you can look out for on your
skin. While anyone can develop Melanoma, people with fair skin and light colored
hair are three to four times more likely of developing the disease than those
with darker skin and hair. |
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