LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Melanoma: Cells
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Melanoma is the malignant tumor deriving from melanocytes through malignant transformation. Melanocytes are derivative cells originating from the neuro-ectodermal crest (the tissue matrix for the brain and medullary spine), which do migrate during the early fetal period into the skin, where they settle within the epidermis and become part of the complex skin structure. These cells are by no means skin cells as they have a neuro-ectodermal origin, the potential of migrating, and the functional capacity of nerve cell units: One of the most prominent functional features of melanocytes is to produce the melanin pigment as a response to UV radiation in order to protect the skin structures from sunburn damage.
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Melanoma cells usually continue to produce the pigment melanin which is why they look very much like moles. The difference is they can be irregular in shape with ragged edges. Melanomas may be made up of various shades of brown; they may increase in size and be raised above the surface of the skin. Itching or bleeding of the area can ... be tell tale signs.
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Melanoma develops in skin cells called melanocytes, which produce the pigment that colors the skin's surface and protects deeper layers from sun damage. It is much more invasive and likely to spread to other parts of the body than other skin cancers
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Melanoma: The most dangerous form of skin cancer, a malignancy of the melanocyte, the cell that produces pigment in the skin. Melanoma is most common in people with fair skin, but can occur in people with all skin colors. Most melanomas present as a dark, mole-like spot that spreads and, unlike a mole, has an irregular border. The tendency toward melanoma may be inherited, and the risk increases with overexposure to the sun and sunburn.
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The extent of surgery depends on the thickness of the melanoma and its site. Most thin melanomas do not need extensive surgery. They are usually removed using a local anaesthetic, and the defect stitched up. A small area of normal skin around the melanoma is ... excised to make sure that all the melanoma cells have been removed. Often this is done as a second procedure (re-excision) when the pathology has confirmed melanoma.
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