This is part of our House MD Project series.

Click here to read the connection to the episode (spoiler alert!)

On the first episode of season 8 (named “Twenty Vicodin”, and featuring an interesting guest in the cast!), House is in prison after crashing his car into Cuddy’s living room. One of the prisoners has a fever, joint pain and a rash on his thigh, and House convinces the prison’s doctor that he has lupus. Later, after the prisoner breaks his arm from a minor hit and doesn’t stop bleeding from a small cut, House listens to his chest and discovers an “acoustic shadow”, meaning there is a mass in his lungs. After drinking some coffee the prisoner develops a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) which causes his airway to swell up and almost kills him. House then realizes that the reason for the reaction was the high temperature of the coffee and diagnoses him with mastocytosis

Photo by fox

Danger level: Medium

What is it?

Our immune system is composed of many types of cells and partןcles. Mast cells belong to the immune system and are involved mostly in allergic reactions. These cells produce substances that cause some of the allergy symptoms, the most famous of them is histamine. In systemic mastocytosis  the amount of these mast cells increases significantly, causing the disease.

This is how a mast cell looks. Photo by Ed Uthman

Who gets it?

Systemic mastocytosis is an extremely rare disease – so rare that it’s frequency in the population is not known. It’s a bit more common in men than women, and appears mostly in children, though it may happen to adults (and then the most common age is 55).

What causes it?

The disease develops when a mast cell starts dividing uncontrollably (like in cancer). Since the mast cells keep dividing, there are too many of them – and they can form a tumor, circulate in the blood or accumulate in organs. Also, substances that mast cells produce like histamine are released in larger amounts than usually. All these processes can cause symptoms.

How does it feel?

Symptoms can appear in any organ where mast cells accumulate. This can cause skin rashes, bone pain and problems with the liver, spleen or bone marrow.

Substances that are produced in mast cells and released in large amounts (like histamine) can cause itching, flushing and symptoms in the digestive system (for example: abdominal pain, diarrhea, peptic ulcers and problems with the absorption of food).

Another important symptom is severe allergic reactions (also called anaphylaxis) which can be dangerous and cause difficulty breathing or a very low blood pressure. The most severe allergic reaction in mastocytosis is to bee stings.

In some cases flushing and low blood pressure can develop in response to certain drugs against inflammation (like in the “aspirin test” at the end of the episode), and any symptom can be worsened by these drugs, alcohol or narcotics.

Mastocytosis in toddlers

How is it discovered?

The doctor can suspect mastocytosis based on the symptoms and blood work, but the only definitive test is a bone marrow biopsy, in which a bone sample is taken from the lower back. An important test which can support the diagnosis before performing the biopsy is measuring the levels of histamine in the blood or urine.

How is it treated?

There is no cure for mastocytosis. Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms, and this is done mostly by different types of pills (for example, anti-histamines which are usually used for allergies).

What happens after treatment?

There are different types of mastocytosis which are dangerous in different levels. In some cases patients have the same life expectancy as the normal population, but in the more violent types (which are, luckily, more rare) patients survive for several months only.

The bottom line – how do I avoid it?

Unfortunately, there is no known way to avoid mastocytosis.

Related posts:

1. Sickle Cell Disease – When the Shape of Your Blood Cells Can Kill You (As Seen On House MD)
2. Astrocytoma (Butterfly Tumor)–A Brain Tumor That Spreads To Both Sides (As Seen On Grey’s Anatomy)
3. Pheochromocytoma – A Rare Tumor That Can Cause Hypertension (As Seen on House MD)

After last month we told you about the best sunscreens for this summer, the FDA announced last week some new rules that are supposed to help you choose your sunscreen wisely. What exactly are these new regulations, and how can you know which sunscreens will help you prevent skin cancer and melanoma?

Photo by Achi Raz

What exactly do sunscreens do?

The purpose of sunscreens is to prevent UV (Ultraviolet) radiation from the sun to enter the skin. This UV radiation is divided into three types, called UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC is absorbed by the ozone layer and doesn’t reach us, so there is no need to protect the skin from it. Generally, UVA penetrates the skin better (so it can reach deeper in the skin), while UVB is more intense (so it can cause more damage where it gets).

UVA is responsible for tanning and also emitted by tanning booths. It was well known it has an important role in skin aging and wrinkling, but in the last decades it was discovered that UVA can also cause skin cancers.

UVB causes sunburns rather than tanning. It is the main cause for skin cancers and also plays a smaller role in skin aging. The old FDA regulations referred only to protection from UVB.

The FDA has set two main important regulations:

Broad Spectrum SPF: According to the new regulations, sunscreens will have to pass a “Broad Spectrum Test” which will check their protection from both UVA and UVB. Only sunscreens that will pass this test with 15 SPF or more will be considered to protect the skin from skin cancer and aging. Other sunscreens will be able to claim that they protect from sunburns only.

Water Resistance and other promises: Today, there is no regulation for promises like “waterproof”, “sweatproof”, “instant protection” and more. According to the new regulations, these qualities will have to be proved to the FDA if the sunscreen manufacturer wants to write it on the label. As for water resistance, there will be a standard test to prove that, and the label will indicate if the sunscreen remains effective on water for 40 or 80 minutes.

Photo by *tlc

This is also a great opportunity to remind you of other ways to protect yourself from the sun:

• Limit exposure, and especially try to avoid spending time in the sun at noon – between 10AM and 2PM.
• Dress up: Try to cover as much skin as you can – wear shirts with long sleeves, pants, sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat.
• Use water resistant sunscreen, and remember to renew it at least every two hours.
• Avoid Tanning oil – it has the opposite effect of sunscreen, and increases the risk for skin cancer and melanoma.

No related posts.

This is a guest post by Dr. Ido Weinberg.  Ido is a Vascular Medicine physician trained in the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.  He founded and operates a Vascular Medicine evidence based website – www.angiologist.com.

Danger level: Low

What is it?

Chilblains are lesions of the skin that are most common on the fingers and toes that may appear as a response to cold. These lesions sometimes look like ulcers and are sometimes accompanied by blue toes.  Chilblains are not dangerous, but it is important because it may seem similar to other, more dangerous conditions.

Who gets it?

There are not many descriptions of chilblains in the medical literature. Because of this, it is difficult to say with precision who gets it.  According to one review that summarized the available descriptions chilblains occurred more commonly in lean women.  This does not mean that overweight men cannot have these lesions, though.  Typically chilblains have been described in Western Europe, in countries such as England and France.  However many modern cases have been described in North America.

What causes it?

The exact cause of chilblains is unknown.  Chilblains are related to cold weather. Although severe exposure to cold may result in frostbite, repetitive exposure to above freezing temperature, especially in damp regions, may result in these lesions.

How does it feel?

The lesions of chilblains have several presentations.  The most common presentation for chilblains are raised lesions that seem like small vesicles.  These lesions are painful and come and go, often for years or at least for the cold season.  Other types of lesions are ulcers and blue discoloration of the fingers and toes.  The most common parts of the body that are affected are the fingers and toes but other exposed areas such as the nose and ears may be affected as well.

How is it discovered?

Chilblains are diagnosed by talking to the patient and looking for cold exposure.  Examination will show the typical lesions, most commonly on more than one finger and on both sides. There are no specific laboratory tests that help with the diagnosis.

How is it treated?

Chilblains are treated by time and by avoiding cold.  By the word ‘time’ we mean that these lesions often wax and wain and often disappear over time.  Cold avoidance and protecting extremities from cold are also effective.  Several medications have also been used such as medications that dilate blood vessels, but there is not much proof that they work.

What happens after treatment?

Chilblains often take there course over several weeks to months until they disappear.  The most important aspect of chilblains in making the proper diagnosis.  Since blue toes and lesions on the toes may appear to doctors similar to more dangerous diseases (such as lesions that are caused by pieces of plaque clogging the arteries), if the diagnosis is not made properly, patients may be subject to complex and sometimes invasive procedures that may endanger them.

Seeking the advice of vascular specialists when you have blue lesions on your fingers or toes gives you the best chance for the right diagnosis to be made and for the right treatment to be given, and more importantly, the wrong treatment to be avoided.

Related posts:

1. No Chicken Soup for You. Zinc Is All You Need If You Have A Cold
2. Which Humidifier Should You Get for A Cold
3. Muckle-Wells Syndrome – When Being Cold Gets You Warm (As Seen On House, MD)

It’s summer again (at least in the northern hemisphere). It’s time for some fun in the sun. Yet as anyone who’s read our article about melanoma knows, protection is key to avoiding problems.

Consumer Reports have tested 12 sunscreen products to assess how well each blocked UVA and UVB rays, and how well their claimed sun protection factor (SPF) lasted on volunteers.

Photo by shanidov

The top 4 were:

1. Up & Up Sport Continuous SPF 30
2. Walgreens Sport Continuous SPF 50
3. Banana Boat Sport Performance Continuous SPF 30
4. Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 50

You can read the full report and see who ranked below the top 4 at the Consumer Reports website (requires subscription) or at WebMD, where the full article appears.

No related posts.

Danger level: Medium

What is it?

Psoriasis is a skin disorder causing red scaly patches on the skin.

Who gets it?

In the United States, 2-2.6% of the white population and 1.3% of African Americans have psoriasis, with about 200,000 new cases each year. Worldwide it affects about 1-5% of the population.

It’s more common in Caucasians, and a little more common in women than in men. It usually starts around age 20, but can start at any age.

In about 40% of people with psoriasis there is also a family history of psoriasis, since it probably has a genetic cause.

What causes it?

Our skin has many layers. In normal skin, new cells form all the time and move up the skin layers until they reach the most superficial layer. When they do, these cells die and then shed. This process takes between 28-30 days.

In psoriasis, new cells grow and move up the layers much faster: it takes them 3-4 days. The buildup of cells on the skin’s surface forms the scales and patches in the disease.

A piece of skin showing its layers. In psoriasis, skin cells move up the layers too fast, accumulating on the surface.

What causes this? One of the theories around psoriasis claims that it is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body’s immune system, which is usually meant to fight infections, also fights the body’s skin cells. (We covered other types of autoimmune diseases here before, such as Graves disease, vitiligo, lupus, and others). This results in an inflammation of the skin and the fast renewal of skin cells.

Outbreaks of psoriasis are caused by known triggers:

1. An injury to the skin
2. Emotional stress
3. Infections, such as a throat infection
4. Cold weather
5. Smoking
6. Heavy alcohol consumption
7. Some drugs – Such as lithium (for bipolar disorder), beta blockers (for high blood pressure), drugs against malaria and others.

How does it feel?

The symptoms in psoriasis include:

1. Areas of skin that are dry or red. They are usually also covered with silvery-white scales, and sometimes with raised edges.
   The skin in psoriasis. Photo by Marnanel.
2. These skin areas appear thick, but they bleed easily if the scales are picked up or rubbed off.
3. Itching
4. Nail abnormalities: Such as pitting (indentations on the nail), a change of color, or crumbly nails.
5. Sometimes psoriasis can also affect the joints, causing inflammation in them, which can cause them to swell and be stiff and painful.

The areas of the skin that are usually most involved in the disease are the scalp, the back of the elbows and knees, the buttocks, and the penis. The disease can affect just a few spots of skin or can cover large skin areas.

Although not life-threatening, psoriasis can greatly affect a person’s self-image.

How is it discovered?

Usually the doctor can decide that a person has psoriasis by looking at the skin. It some cases, they may perform a skin biopsy, in which a piece of skin is cut and looked at under the microscope, to make certain that it’s indeed psoriasis and not some other similar disease.

How is it treated?

There is no cure for psoriasis, but treatments are available to interrupt the cycle of fast skin cell renewal and to remove the scaly skin patches.

There are 3 types of treatment for psoriasis:

1. Medicines applied to the skin – This includes creams and ointments you rub on your skin. Usually these are used for a disease which is mild or moderate. More severe cases require other methods.
   Creams used here include steroid creams, vitamin D creams, retinoid creams and others.
2. Light therapy – Ultraviolet light is the light produced by the sun, and which can also be produced artificially by special machines. It’s been found that exposure to ultraviolet light slows the skin turnover in the disease and improves the scaling and inflammation of the skin. It’s important to do this under a doctor’s guidance, since too much exposure to ultraviolet light can be dangerous.
3. Drugs – There are some medications which can be taken by mouth to help treat psoriasis. They are usually given in severe cases. These include retinoids, methotrexate, cyclosporin and others.

What happens after treatment?

As mentioned above, there is no cure for psoriasis, and it lasts for life. Treatment, if taken, can greatly reduce the symptoms of the disease, even in severe cases.

There is no way to prevent psoriasis, but if you have it, there are some things you can do to reduce the activity of the disease:

1. Keeping the skin moist
2. Avoiding cold, dry climates – As mentioned above, cold weather makes the disease worse.
3. Avoiding scratching the skin or skin injuries
4. Avoiding stress
5. Avoiding infections – Such as throat infections
6. Avoid medications which can worsen the disease (see above)
7. Limiting alcohol – To no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women.
8. Stopping smoking

The American Academy of Dermatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation have joined together to form the Stop Hiding from Psoriasis public education campaign.You can visit their website at stophiding.org and watch this video, featuring singer LeAnn Rimes.

Related posts:

1. Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency – When Certain Conditions Can Destroy Blood Cells
2. Multiple Myeloma – Bone Marrow Cells Taking Over
3. Sickle Cell Disease – When the Shape of Your Blood Cells Can Kill You (As Seen On House MD)

Anyone who watched last night’s season finale of Grey’s Anatomy has two different questions on their mind right now (and to not spoil it for anyone who didn’t, neither of them involves either IL-2 or anterograde amnesia). But tradition is tradition, and so you get to learn about two subjects for the price of one today.

IL-2

What is it?

IL-2 (or by its long name interleukin-2) is a chemotherapy used to treat melanomas and kidney cancer.

How does it work?

Interleukins are molecules in our immune system. They help in our body’s response to infections.

The cells that fight infections in our body are the white blood cells. The interleukins attach to these cells by connecting to a special receptor on them, and by this they activate them.

The good news is that the white blood cells can kill not only bacteria and viruses, but also cancer cells. IL-2 causes the body to make more of the immune system cells and makes the cells more effective.

The IL-2 molecule.

When is it used?

IL-2 is used to treat advanced stages of kidney cancer (called renal cell carcinoma) or melanoma, when these tumors metastasize (spread to other parts of the body).

How successful is it?

About 10-20% of people treated with IL-2 respond to the treatment. In a study done in 1999, 270 people with metastatic melanoma were given the treatment. 16% of them (43 people) improved with the treatment. Another study was done in 2000, in which again 16% of people improved.

It’s important to understand, though, that only 6% of these people were completely cured with this drug, while in the others it only helped partially.

Danger level: Medium

What is it?

Amnesia  is a Greek word which means forgetfulness or loss of memory. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to remember new facts.

Who gets it?

There are two types of things which can cause anterograde amnesia:

1. Drugs – No, not the ones that make you high. A group of drugs called benzodiazepines (which are usually used for anxiety or to induce sleep) can cause you to forget things. This can be seen in people receiving them before undergoing surgeries, who can’t recollect the minutes around taking the drug.
2. Physical damage to the brain – The damage can be the result of an injury (such as after an accident) or after a surgery to the brain. Such surgeries may be needed in some types of seizures, or when a tumor is in that part of the brain.

What causes it?

The area in our brain responsible for storing memories is called the hippocampus. Damage to the area of the hippocampus can cause a problem with learning new things and retaining them.

The hippocampus. Lose it and you’ll stop remembering new things.

How does it feel?

People with anterograde amnesia lose the ability to learn new facts. It’s important to understand, though, that they can learn how to do new things, such as talk on the phone. They won’t, whoever, remember who they talked to.

If the amnesia was caused by a drug, it usually goes away after a short time. If the amnesia is a result of damage to the brain, however, the chances of gaining the remembering ability back are much slimmer.

This video is a good example. It’s a part of a documentary about Clive Wearing, who suffers from anterograde amnesia:

You can see more examples by watching the (fictional) movies Memento and 50 First Dates.

How is it treated?

Unfortunately, once an area of the brain is damaged, there is currently no known way to recover that area.

Related posts:

1. As Seen on Grey’s Anatomy – Melanoma – You Can Avoid It if It’s Found on Time
2. As Seen on Grey’s Anatomy – Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)
3. Astrocytoma (Butterfly Tumor)–A Brain Tumor That Spreads To Both Sides (As Seen On Grey’s Anatomy)

Danger level: High

What is it?

Necrotizing fasciitis is a type of infection that rapidly destroys skin and the tissue beneath it and can lead to death.

Who gets it?

It’s quite rare – Since 1883 there have only been 500 known cases in the United States. It’s about 2-3 times as common in men than women.

It can happen to anyone, but might be more common if you have any of these:

1. A problem with your immune system
2. A chronic disease, such as diabetes, cancer or liver or kidney disease.
3. If you have cuts – such as wounds from operations.
4. If you’ve had chickenpox lately, or other viral infections with a rash.
5. You take steroids (not the ones used for growing, the ones used to treat a disease).

What causes it?

Necrotizing fasciitis is usually caused by a germ called group A streptococci, (frequently called the “flesh eating bacteria” in relation to this) and sometimes by others.

That bacteria can cause “regular” skin infections. Sometimes, though, a simple damage to the skin (such as a bruise or muscle strain) can cause the germ to enter the area. It then releases poisons (called toxins) that damage the soft tissue below the skin, and then spread rapidly to destroy muscle coverings. Along the way it causes death of the tissue.

The germ can also spread through the blood to the lungs and other organs, which leads to failure of these organs and death.

The progression of all of these can happen in a matter of hours!

Streptococcus – the germ wreaking all the havoc here. If you want to see how necrotizing fasciitis looks like, click here Warning: This photograph contains graphic details that may be difficult to watch. Proceed at your own risk. (necrotizing fasciitis photo by Piotr Smuszkiewicz, Iwona Trojanowska and Hanna Tomczak).

How does it feel?

There will be great pain in the area involved – What’s common here is that the pain doesn’t fit what is seen on the outside – the skin might look fine, but the pain will be very severe. Fever might be present, as well as nausea and vomiting. Within hours, the area will be swollen and tender to touch. Then it will become red, usually with blisters. Later the skin becomes blue, brown or black.

Since the germ spreads through the blood, within hours infected people will enter shock and finally death, if not treated.

How is it discovered?

The rate that the infection spreads will be a clue to the doctor to the fact that this is necrotizing fasciitis. Sometimes, a sample form the skin will be taken to identify the germ. Sometimes an x-ray picture of a CT or MRI scan will be taken.

How is it treated?

Treatment is done by surgery. In the surgery, the doctor will take out the dead tissue, to keep the infection from spreading. Along with that, antibiotics are given against the germ.

Another thing that can be done is hyperbaric oxygen treatment – This means putting the patient in a special container which contains high levels of oxygen. Why does this help?

1. Sometimes the germs causing this can’t live with oxygen, and this will simply kill them.
2. The infection lowers the level of oxygen in the infected tissue, and white blood cells (the cells responsible for fighting infections) can’t fight the infection properly. By increasing the oxygen level in the tissues, these cells can fight better.

What happens after treatment?

About 30% of people will die because of this infection (much more if it’s not treated on time).

Here are a few things you can do to avoid getting this rare, yet horrible, disease:

1. Wash your hands often – This will help prevent not just this, but other infections as well.
2. Keep cuts, scrapes, burns, sores, bites or surgical wounds clean.
3. Watch for signs of infection: Pain, swelling, pus, heat or redness near a wound or fever without an obvious cause. If any of these appear, seek medical attention immediately. Do not take any anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, since they might reduce the symptoms and delay discovery of the infection on time.
4. If you recently strained a muscle or sprained a joint and you develop fever, chills and sever pain, seek medical care immediately.
5. In rare cases, the germ can spread from one person to another through close contact such as kissing. If you have been in close contact with someone who develops necrotizing fasciitis, your doctor might recommend that you take an antibiotic.

Here’s a story of a survivor. Do you have a story of your own to share? You can do it in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Necrotizing Fasciitis Revisited, Osteosarcoma, and Aneurysms – (As Seen on House MD)
2. As Seen on Grey’s Anatomy – Melanoma – You Can Avoid It if It’s Found on Time
3. In The News – What’s Hepatitis A and How to Avoid It

Danger level: low

What is it?

Vitiligo is a disease in which there are patches of white skin. 

Who gets it?

It happens to 1-2% of people worldwide. About 30% of those have a family member with the disease.

Vitiligo usually appears in the ages 10-30.

What causes it?

As mentioned in the melanoma article, our skin is composed of layers of cells. Melanocytes is the name of one type of cells in our skin, and they are responsible for creating a pigment, or color material, which gives our skin color and which is also responsible for the color we get when we tan.

For unknown reasons, in vitiligo the melanocytes are destroyed. This might be related to an autoimmune process, meaning that the body’s immune system attacks the body instead of intruders. In this case it attacks the melanocytes. (We have talked about other autoimmune diseases here before, like lupus and Graves disease).

How does it feel?

It looks like white patches on the skin. It can range from one or two patches to areas covering a large part of the body. It’s most remarkable in people with dark skin (in fact, Michael Jackson claims his white skin is a result of vitiligo. Also, Lee Thomas, an anchor for Fox confessed in 2007 to having vitiligo).

A hand of a woman with vitiligo (Photo by Produnis).

These patches can grow, shrink or not change at all. They usually appear in a symmetrical way, on both sides of the body.

Maybe the main problem is the psychological affect it can have on patients, especially in dark skinned people.

How is it discovered?

Usually the looks of the skin are enough for the doctor to know it’s vitiligo. Sometimes, to make sure, the doctor might perform a biopsy (cut a small piece) of the skin or look at the skin under a special lamp called a “Wood’s lamp”.

How is it treated?

There is no cure for vitiligo: there are treatments that might help with the skin appearance, but the underlying process in the body will still happen. In some cases, the color may return by itself.

Treatments that can be tried include steroid creams, drugs that weaken the immune system (which, as said above, attacks the body here), or simply applying makeup to darken the area.

Exposure to UV light (same as the light produced by the sun) in a doctor’s office can cause the melanocytes not destroyed to produce the pigment and can help.

Skin grafting can also be used if areas of skin don’t respond to the above treatments (even melanocytes alone have been implanted successfully). Another option is skin bleaching, in order to give the skin an even color throughout (this is irreversible).

What happens after treatment?

Like mentioned here, there is no cure for vitiligo. While in some patients the color may return by itself, the process in most people is still there.

Unfortunately, there is no known way to prevent vitiligo.

Related posts:

1. In The News – Michael Jackson – What is A Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
2. Following Michael Douglas – Oropharyngeal Cancer – What Is It and How Can You Protect Yourself?
3. As Seen on Grey’s Anatomy – Melanoma – You Can Avoid It if It’s Found on Time

Each week we’ll tackle here a disease featured in that week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Last night’s episode (Stand By Me, season 5, episode 18) dealt with Dr. Stevens’ Stage IV melanoma. We’ll try to explain what melanoma is, what the various stages mean, and what you can do to discover it on time.

Danger level: High

What is it?

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of the skin. It’s responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths. While skin is where it usually arises, it can also start in the eyes, ears, gastrointestinal tract, the brain coverings, and around the mouth or genitalia.

Who gets it?

About 60,000 cases occur each year in the US, causing more than 8,000 deaths. It occurs mainly in white people. It’s much less common in people of African American origin and Hispanics, but when they do get the disease, it might be deadlier.

Until age 39 women are about twice as much likely to get melanoma, but after the age of 40 it’s more common in men.

Usually this cancer appears around age 50, but in women aged 25-29 it’s the most common cancer.

There are a few factors that can put you at risk for melanoma:

1. Fair skin, red or blond hair, blue eyes, freckles or if you tan poorly and sunburn easily.
2. Sun exposure
3. Family history or a personal history of melanoma
4. Increased number of skin moles (nevi)

What causes it?

Our skin is composed of several layers. In these layers are scattered cells of many types. One of those cell types are melanocytes – they produce a material called a pigment, which gives our skin color. That pigment is named melanin. When exposed to the sun, that pigment is created, which is why we get a tan: That pigment causes our skin to get darker.

On the left you can see a cut from the skin showing the layers. On the right is a magnification of the layer where melanocytes exist, producing melanin.

In melanoma, in a process which is not understood completely, melanocytes turn into malignant cells. These cells divide without dying, like normal cells would, and in this way spread in the area, enter blood vessels and send metastases (areas of tumor far from the original area) throughout the body.

About 50% of melanomas develop from moles on the skin, The rest can arise in any place where melanocytes exist: The skin, eye, ear, brain coverings, and so on.

How does it feel?

Melanoma starts on the skin. It looks like a dark spot. Below we will tell you how you can differentiate a normal mole and a melanoma. Here’s a picture of one -

Melanoma

Like mentioned above, it may start on the skin, but can spread throughout the body if not taken care of on time. Each level of spread is called a stage, and there are 4 of them:

• Stage 1 and 2: The melanoma is still on the skin area.
• Stage 3: The melanoma started spreading, and it exists in lymph nodes around the area it started. (A lymph node is an organ of our immune system. Many tumors find it easy to spread using them).
• Stage 4: The tumor sent metastases to far off places in the body.

How is it discovered?

If you have moles, or any of the risk factors listed above, you should get your skin examined at least once a year by a doctor. If a lesion on the skin looks like a melanoma, the only way to make sure about its true nature is to take a biopsy out of it (a biopsy is a cut made through the lesion, after which that piece will be looked at under the microscope).

How is it treated?

The main treatment is taking off the skin lesion surgically. The surgeon will take it off along with a margin around it, to make sure everything is taken out.

What happens if the tumor metastasized? Usually operation is not possible in these stages. There are cases when you can take out the metastasis itself. Chemotherapy and drugs called “biological therapy” might also be involved in treatment.

What happens after treatment?

The survival in cancers is usually counted for 5 years after the treatment, meaning how many people survive for 5 years after being treated, and is called the 5-year survival. In Stages 1-2, the 5 year survival is between 70-99%. In stage 4 it’s around 18%, but can go down according to the place the tumor has spread to.

1. Protect yourself from the sun: The best way is to avoid sun exposure between 10am-4pm, when it’s the most intense.
2. Wear protective clothing when out in the sun: A hat with a brim, a shirt with sleeves and pants.
3. Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, and it should protect against both UVA and UVB sun rays. But please don’t think that this gives you full protection – you should always try to stay clear from the sun.
4. Examine your skin regularly:

Performing a skin self-exam -

• Stand in front of a mirror and examine your body: front and back, right and left. Don’t neglect any areas, like the feet and even the space between your toes.
• Check for the ABCD’s:

A. Asymmetrical skin lesion: The lesion should be equal from all sides. If it isn’t, it is suspicious.

B. Border: The border of the lesion should be regular, without any notches. Any irregularities in the border are suspicious.

C. Color: It shouldn’t have more than 2 colors. More than that, and the lesion is suspicious.

D. Diameter: It shouldn’t be greater than 6 millimeters (0.24 inches).

Do you know of anyone with melanoma, or have you experienced it yourself? Share in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Carcinoid Tumors – A Rare Tumor Often Not Found On Time
2. Support Melanoma Tweetments
3. As Seen on Grey’s Anatomy – IL-2 treatment, Anterograde Amnesia