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What does this melanoma diagnosis mean?
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Anon_7570 posted:
A good friend was just diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastic Malignant Melanoma with diffused Hypermelanosis. What does this mean? Where should I look for more information? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
2 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:What does this melanoma diagnosis mean?A good friend was just diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastic Malignant Melanoma with diffused Hypermelanosis. What does this mean? Where should I look for more information? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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Anon_160335 responded:
Google it or whatever your use. There is some info on it, just type in Melanoma with diffused Hypermelanosis.
Report This| Share this:What does this melanoma diagnosis mean?Google it or whatever your use. There is some info on it, just type in Melanoma with diffused Hypermelanosis.
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Skin Cancer Foundation
Michael W Steppie, MD responded:
Melanomas fall into four basic categories. Three of them begin in situ — meaning they occupy only the top layers of the skin — and sometimes become invasive; the fourth (nodular melanoma) is often invasive from the start. Invasive melanomas are more serious, as they have penetrated deeper into the skin and may have spread to other areas of the body.

  • Superficial Spreading Melanoma

  • Lentigo Maligna

  • Acral lentiginous melanoma

  • Nodular melanoma

Early melanomas (Stages I and II) are localized, and more advanced melanomas (Stages III and IV) have spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. There are also subdivisions within stages.

Once the disease has advanced to Stage IV, melanoma cells have traveled through the body via the bloodstream or lymph vessels, going far from the original tumor site. They may have reached distant lymph nodes or invaded the internal organs. This can be in addition to or instead of in-transit metastases or local spread to the regional lymph nodes. In local forms of the disease, the metastases can reach skin or subcutaneous tissue more than 2 cm from the primary tumor, but not beyond the regional lymph nodes.

When distant metastases are suspected, they can be traced by scans of the chest, head, abdomen, and pelvis with a CT (computed tomography) scan in which special X-ray equipment and a computer program show a cross-section of body tissues or organs; an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan that uses a magnet instead of X rays to create a map of the patient's body and brain; and by PET (positron emission tomography), an evolving radiographic technique. For PET scanning, radioactive sugar, the basic carbohydrate utilized by the body for energy, is injected intravenously into the patient. This sugar may be taken up rapidly by any melanoma cells that are present.

You can learn more about the stages of melanoma at http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma/Stages-of-Melanoma.html .
Report This| Share this:What does this melanoma diagnosis mean?Melanomas fall into four basic categories. Three of them begin in situ &mdash; meaning they occupy only the top layers of the skin &mdash; and sometimes become invasive; the fourth (nodular melanoma) is often invasive from the start. Invasive melanomas are more serious, as they have penetrated deeper into the skin and may have spread to other areas of the body.<br /><br /><ul><li>Superficial Spreading Melanoma<br /><br /></li><li>Lentigo Maligna<br /><br /></li><li>Acral lentiginous melanoma<br /><br /></li><li>Nodular melanoma<br /></li></ul><br />Early melanomas (Stages I and II) are localized, and more advanced melanomas (Stages III and IV) have spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. There are also subdivisions within stages. <br /> <br />Once the disease has advanced to Stage IV, melanoma cells have traveled through the body via the bloodstream or lymph vessels, going far from the original tumor site. They may have reached distant lymph nodes or invaded the internal organs. This can be in addition to or instead of in-transit metastases or local spread to the regional lymph nodes. In local forms of the disease, the metastases can reach skin or subcutaneous tissue more than 2 cm from the primary tumor, but not beyond the regional lymph nodes.<br /><br />When distant metastases are suspected, they can be traced by scans of the chest, head, abdomen, and pelvis with a CT (computed tomography) scan in which special X-ray equipment and a computer program show a cross-section of body tissues or organs; an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan that uses a magnet instead of X rays to create a map of the patient's body and brain; and by PET (positron emission tomography), an evolving radiographic technique. For PET scanning, radioactive sugar, the basic carbohydrate utilized by the body for energy, is injected intravenously into the patient. This sugar may be taken up rapidly by any melanoma cells that are present.<br /><br />You can learn more about the stages of melanoma at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma/Stages-of-Melanoma.html">http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma/Stages-of-Melanoma.html</a> .
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