Age Spots & Melanoma
Age spots are different from melanoma, although some melanoma comes as a result of age spots. While age spots, also known as liver spots, (it has nothing to do with the liver) are gotten from too much exposure of the skin to sunlight; melanoma is the most deadly and dangerous type of skin cancer that forms from the skin pigment the gives the skin it’s color called melanin. Some melanoma develops on the top layer of the skin and then spreads deep to the other cells of the body and some others starts to develop in the deeper layer of the skin. Since it develops from inside the skin, this type of melanoma is more dangerous as it spreads faster to other cells of the body. Melanoma is more paramount in men than women, but women are not completely exempted as melanoma has been linked to breast cancer and women, more than men, are mostly the victims of breast cancer. Melanoma is common in fair skinned people than dark skinned people as dark skin people produce more melanin than fair skinned people.
There are four types of melanoma; one is the Superficial Spreading Melanoma, which is the most common type of melanoma, another is Acral Lentiginous Melanoma, which is mostly common in dark skinned people, Lentigo Maligna melanoma is another type of melanoma and it is mostly occurs in area where there is age spot due to long exposure to sunlight, and finally Nodula Melanoma, it is mostly common in males and can occur in any part of the body.
More than 2 million cases of skin cancers are diagnosed every year and over 60,000 are melanoma cases and most of skin cancer deaths are melanoma. Sometimes it begins as an age spot and other times it can develop on any part of the body where there is no existing age spot. While age spots are usually small and flat, melanoma is usually big and it can change in size. Melanoma skin cancer can grow and spread into other cells of the body but age spot only remains on the surface and does not grow.
Age spots can be removed and melanoma is actually treatable and curable if detected on time. The thought of having melanoma skin cancer is quiet scary so if you think you may be having melanoma, see a doctor as it can be cured if it is detected early enough.
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