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Skin melanoma is the third most common type of skin cancer, but it is also the deadliest one, responsible for 75% of fatalities among skin cancer patients. There is no current cure for advanced melanoma but, if diagnosed early, melanoma is 100% curable.

Should I be worried?

Most people believe that melanoma is caused by long exposure to direct sun, but this is not true. People with a large number of moles and freckles are the ones that face the greatest risk of having melanoma, even if they stay indoors all day.

Are you in the risk group? Everybody should be aware of his or hers skin condition and check the body for changes from time to time. If any abnormal moles appear on your skin - you should consult your physician or dermatologist immediately.

But does it mean that every time a new mole appears, we need to run to the doctor’s office? The American Cancer Society recommends that adults over the age of 40 should have a skin exam at least once a year. People with increased risk, who have 20 or more moles that are larger than 2 mm in diameter, should also undergo a yearly examination.  

Melanoma examination is usually done as a visual diagnose by a dermatologist. Moles that might seem problematic are sent to a laboratory for biopsy. Of course that visual examination is not accurate and more than 60% of the moles that are removed are harmless. Mole removal also causes scarring.

I don’t want scars!

But there is a new advanced and painless procedure for melanoma detection called the MelaFind. The MelaFind is a hand held imaging device that analyses suspicious pigmented skin by emitting wavelengths of light up to 2.5 mm into the body.

There is no need for intrusive medical procedure as the MelaFind system knows how to distinguish melanoma from non melanoma by scanning the patient lesions and running it through a database of more than 6,000 already biopsied lesions. By comparing the patient lesion with the database, the MelaFind can then generate an extensive report with a detailed recommendation whether a mole should be biopsied or not.  

What else?

Remember that regardless of the yearly examination, you should be aware of any changes or abnormal moles that appear on your skin. There is one method which might not be as accurate as the MelaFind, but helps to stay on top of your health – it’s the “ABCDE” of melanoma

•    Asymmetrical skin lesions
•    Border of the lesion is irregular or uneven
•    Color: melanomas have two or more colors
•    Diameter: moles that are larger than 6 mm could be malignant
•    Enlarging: moles are evolving and spreading with time

Melafind is not yet FDA approved, but should be in the near future.