About www.cancer.gov

The National Cancer Institute is an organization that is responsible for coordinating the U.S. National Cancer Program, as well as for supporting and conducting health information dissemination, training, research and other activities associated the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and causes of cancer. The Institute also provides supportive care for cancer patients as well as for their families. The Congress established this independent research institute in 1937; and broadened its responsibilities and scope with the National Cancer Act of 1971, by amending the Public Health Service Act.                                                                                          

The National Cancer Institute: Mission

The National Cancer Institute has a specific mission of supporting and coordinating research projects which are being conducted by various research foundations, hospitals, universities and businesses in the United States and abroad, by providing cooperative agreements and research grants. The Institute also conducts research in their own clinics and laboratories. The National Cancer Institute is also responsible for supporting the training and education in fundamental clinical disciplines and sciences for participation in treatment and clinical research programs associated to cancer. The Institute is also supporting a national network of cancer centers and various research projects for cancer control. The collaboration with various voluntary organizations and other institutions provides different training and cancer research activities. The process of collecting and disseminating scientific information on cancer is also an important part of the Institute’s responsibilities. This organization is also providing construction grants which are supporting the construction of clinics, laboratories and related facilities which are relevant to cancer research. 

The significance of the National Cancer Institute

The work of the cancer researches and scientists from the National Cancer Institute has contributed significantly in making real progress against cancer. The rate of new cases of cancer in the United States has been a subject to declination since 1999, and the rate of overall cancer deaths has been dropping for over a decade. These positive trends reflect the important improvements in the treatment of cancer, as well as the technology advances that have provided improved tools for diagnosing, detecting and understanding cancer. The work of this Institute has also contributed to a longer and better life of the cancer patients. The highly skilled researches of the National Cancer Institute have made significant contribution to cancer control programs.                                              

The website of the NCI

The website of the National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov, provides very useful information on all types of cancer and associated subjects. The visitors of the website can find reliable and reputable information about the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, development and prognosis on every kind of cancer. The website also provides general information about the disease, how it forms and where it origins from. The visitors can also read about various clinical trials associated with cancer, as well as research and funding. The latest news from this field of medicine are updated regularly on www.cancer.gov. Another very important aspect of the website is that it provides support for the patients who are coping with cancer. The patients can learn how to manage their emotional and physical effects better. Cancer is never easy to deal with, but the patients can find reliable support on this website, which will help them understand their condition better.

Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

The melanocytes’ neoplastic transformation gives rise to a very serious form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma. Once the diagnosis is confirmed by histopathology, the tumor is staged so that the prognosis and treatment can be determined. Melanoma is a malignant tumor arising from the cells known as melanocytes – cells that produce the pigment melanin which is providing the skin’s coloration. Melanoma can metastasize via the lymph nodes to other organs or tissues inside the human’s body. The most commonly affected organs are the liver, lungs and brain. Metastatic malignant melanoma is among the hardest forms of cancer to treat, particularly if the disease has spread to other organs. Once a person develops this disease, variables like age, sex, level, thickness, ulceration and primary site are not connected to the outcome.

What is Metastatic Malignant Melanoma?

Melanocytes are found in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, eyes and other body tissues. Although melanoma can arise from all these sites, the most common origin site remains the skin. That’s why many people watch out for the symptoms on their skin. If there are any unusual changes in the skin or new skin growths are noticed, they must be evaluated right away. Melanoma occurs in both women and men. Women are most commonly affected on the legs, while for men the disease starts on the head, neck, between the shoulders or hips. When the cancer spreads to other organs, the cells are still called melanoma cells, while the overall condition is called metastatic malignant melanoma. The treatments usually include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, local hypothermia and biotherapy/immunotherapy.

Risk Factors and Types of Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

Excessive exposure to the sun is usually a trigger which causes melanocytes’ proliferation, later leading to metastatic malignant melanoma. Common blistering sunburns, a lot of time spent out in the sun, using artificial UV radiation tanning beds and many nevi all contribute to the skin’s vulnerability for melanoma. There are four types of malignant melanoma: superficial spreading melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma, nodular melanoma and lentigo melanoma. The crucial warning sign of this disease is a new pigmented lesion. If the size increases in a few weeks or months, or if the lesion changes its color, the person must seek for medical advice. The most commonly used guideline for evaluation of unusual moles is the mnemonic ABCDEs.

ABCDE of Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

The A in the ABCDE symbol stands for asymmetry – one half of the mole might be different from the other half, or the mole might be higher, in different color and texture. B signifies border irregularity – the mole’s borders should be round and smooth; tails or jagged edges are suspicious and ulceration or bleeding definitely requires attention. C is the letter for color – more colors on one mole, or a variation of colors including red, blue or black is a serious warning sign. D signifies the diameter – generally, a mole is 0.6mm, and melanomas might be larger. Finally, E stands for evolving – any change over a period of a few weeks is very suspicious. Early detection of metastatic malignant melanoma is of a big importance. Regular skin examination by a professional dermatologist (or even self-examination) and limited sun exposure is vital.

The Difficulty Of Finding Mucosal Melanoma

A melanoma can show up anywhere on your body, but they usually develop in places that have been exposed to the sun. That is especially common on the face, back, shoulders, legs, and arms of a person because those are the places that get the most direct exposure to the sun. It is also possible that melanoma shows up in a place that does not receive much or any sun, including the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and even in the beds of the fingernails. These types of melanomas are hidden but are much more common in people who have dark skin. While melanoma starts in the skin and can spread to other parts skin, it can also spread to other parts of the body. Mucosal melanoma is one example of an illness that spreads in this fashion.

Explaining mucosal melanoma

No matter where it occurs on the body, melanoma comes from pigment cells that are called melanocytes. The cells produce melanin, which give the skin color. The color of the skin protects the body from damaging ultraviolet rays that come from the sun. The cells can transform in cancerous cells. When this transformation happens, it can end up causing cancerous melanoma. Even though the normal melanocytes exist in the skin, they also exist in other parts of the body, like in the mucosal surfaces. The mucosal surfaces form the lining of the nasal passage, the oral cavity, and other passages in the body that need natural lubrication. Just as the other melanocytes in the skin can become cancerous, it is also possible for mucosal melanoma to develop.

The discovery of mucosal melanoma

This illness was first found in the 1850s, but it is still not very well known or understood because it is so rare. Of all the cases of melanoma in the United States, for example, less than five percent were mucosal melanoma. When this rare condition is finally discovered, it usually appears in the head and neck region, especially in the esophagus. Even though both types of melanoma originate from melanocytes, they differ in how they affect the body. For example, most cases of melanoma come directly from exposure to the sun, especially when the patient is very young. In the other type of melanoma, doctors still do not understand what exposures are the major risk factors. The relationship to family history and heredity is also not entirely clear.

Diagnosing mucosal melanoma

Most cases of melanoma cannot be removed surgically. That is also the case in mucosal melanoma. Another difficulty is that this type of melanoma is quite difficult to diagnose because it is so rare. Therefore, doctors generally do not suspect that a patient will have this type of illness. Unfortunately, many of the cases are already too far advanced by the time they are identified. Even in cases where there is a possibility to do a surgery, melanoma often has a tendency to come back. There are many charitable organizations that are dedicating a lot of research to solve this problem, but there are still many challenges remaining.

About Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic is a medical research group and a non-for-profit medical practice which is consisted of a group of smaller facilities and hospitals focused on research, education and patient care. This is a organization that holds a high reputation of being a pioneer in medical advancement and treatment; and Mayo Clinic continues to focus on more than just treatment and diagnosis in order to earn that reputation. Mayo Clinic is devoted to the advancement of the medical care and knowledge by performing clinical trials and research for many medical conditions. The official website of the organization (www.mayoclinic.com) is visited by millions of people every month.                                                                                          

About the website

Mayo Clinic has been a reputable organization from its early years of development, but after the launch of Mayo Clinic in 1995, the Clinic became the most trusted source of medical information found online. This award-winning website is the starting point of millions of people from all around the world when they need some health-related information. The website offers disease management and self-improvement tools that enable many people to manage their health issues. The Mayo Clinic website is an outcome from the efficient collaboration in a team consisted of medical experts and Web professionals. This is the most trusted online destination that provides the users with access to the knowledge and experience of more than 3,400 scientists and physicians from Mayo Clinic.

The mission of www.mayoclinic.com

The mission of the official Mayo Clinic website is to enable people to manage their health better. The team of medical and Web professionals accomplishes that goal by providing up-to-date and useful tools and information that reflect the excellence and expertise standards of Mayo Clinic. The organization remains dedicated to diagnosing and treating all kinds of illnesses, but the official website makes that mission even broader by serving the best interests of millions of people all around the world. The website of the Clinic offers some very intuitive tools that are easy to use, such as the ‘First-Aid Guide’ and the ‘Symptom Checker’, which provide fast answers about health issues that range from complex to common. The user of the website is also able to gain knowledge from the in-depth guides on various conditions and diseases, procedures, tests, animations, videos, expert answers, blogs and living guides. The visitors on Mayo Clinic can also sign up for a free newsletter that will provide them with the latest information of the organization.                                             

The function and potential of Mayo Clinic

The wealth of medical specialists, doctors and other professionals of Mayo Clinic provide an effective treatment and a very comprehensive diagnosis to the public. The organization is not only focused on patient care, but also on medical education and clinical research that is being regularly published on www.mayoclinic.com. The website offers an impressive collection of health information that will enable the patients to understand their condition and search for the best treatment. Mayo Clinic is an organization that provides great benefits to the society by increasing the awareness and education about countless health-associated conditions, as well as improving the patient care and advancing the entire field of medicine. 

Desmoplastic Melanoma

Desmoplastic melanoma is a special type of melanoma which usually appears in white people. It is a rare type of melanoma, whose cells are surrounded by fibrous tissue. We can point out that it is a condition which is most commonly found among elderly men. It usually affects the skin that has been exposed to sun light, since its appearance is connected with the pigment cells in the human body. This disease can be found under different names, such as Spindled melanoma and neurotropic melanoma. All in all, it is a type of melanoma which appears locally and distant metastases are very rare. The patients must self-examination their skin regularly once the condition has been diagnosed.

 

Desmoplastic melanoma: factors, signs and symptoms

The major factors that play a vital role in the appearance of desmoplastic melanoma are age, sun exposure, fair skin and family history of any type of melanoma. This means that elderly people who have been exposing their skin to sunlight frequently have a huge possibility of getting this illness. In almost fifty percent of the cases the melanoma appears on the neck or the head, since these two parts of the body are the ones which are exposed to sun light most of the time. The first sign is the lump which appears on the skin and its size may vary from 6 mm to almost 2 cm in diameter. The surface of the lump is irregular and not so smooth, and the person has variable pigmentation of the scar. The lump is usually skin- or pinky colored.

Desmoplastic melanoma: symptoms of invasive type of melanoma

There are cases when the desmoplastic melanoma is of an invasive type and the patient experiences different, more serious symptoms. For instance, the patient is faced with stinging and itching; and bleeding and ulceration are possible to happen as well. Part of the lesion may be thickened and the spot may get a different color, such as blue or black. If these symptoms are easily perceivable, the patient needs to seek for suitable medical care immediately. We must point out that the real trigger of the condition is still unknown to the scientists, but they are certain that this type of melanoma is connected with the influence of the sun. 

Desmoplastic melanoma: treatment and conclusion

There are few tests which need to be run in order to check the presence of desmoplastic melanoma in the patient. Thus, neurofibroma, hypertrophic scar, dermatofibroma and melanocytic naevi are conditions which are checked through the process known as dermoscopy. Moreover, the doctors run additional tests such as a pathology report and biopsy. The basic treatment of the disease is to cut the part of the skin out. One of the most important things of this condition is the staging process – the most difficult stage is the 4th one, since distant metastasis is present in the body of the patient. The patients who are diagnosed with stages 0, 1 and 2 have easier consequences on their health. In conclusion, every patient diagnosed with this condition must immediately seek help from specialists.