A form of cancer that begins in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines.

Melanoma is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers, but it is far more dangerous. Like basal cell and squamous cell cancers, melanoma is almost always curable in its early stages. But it is much more likely than basal or squamous cell cancer to spread to other parts of the body if not caught early.

RISK FACTORS

• Ultraviolet (UV) Light Exposure
• Moles
• Fair Skin, Freckling & Light Hair
• Family History of Melanoma
• Personal History of Melanoma
• Immune Suppression
• Age
• Gender
• Xeroderma Pigmentosum