Skin cancers are mainly divided into two very distinct types: carcinomas and melanomas. Rarer, melanomas represent only about 10% cases of skin cancer.

How does melanoma develop?

Skin melanomas are cancerous tumors that form from melanocytes, which are the skin cells that make melanin (the pigment that colors the skin). They can develop on any part of the body but are more likely to start on sections of the skin often. exposed to the sun such as the face, neck, arms, and legs. Much less frequently, melanoma can also be mucosal (i.e. develop on mucous membranes such as those of the mouth or vulva) or uveal (or forming from melanocytes in the eye). People who have a phototype I (fair skin, blue eyes, red hair, among others) are more likely to get sunburned and therefore have a higher risk of melanoma if they do not protect themselves (by reducing their exposure to the sun or by applying sunscreen for example). For other prevention tips, do not hesitate to consult the site of France Asso Cancer and Skin.

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How is melanoma diagnosed?

These malignant tumors are identifiable because they have the appearance of pigmented lesions by forming dark spots on the skin. However, they should not be confused with moles (or nevi), which correspond to benign tumors. In case of doubt, the lesion should be removed by surgery with an anatomopathological analysis.

According to the Cancer stage, various treatments are available against melanoma. This stage is evaluated based on the TNM score which is a system for classifying cancers. Each letter is associated with a number, which can be found on the anatomopathological report or the consultation report. The letter T corresponds to the size and extent of the tumor. To determine this category, theBreslow index is used. This index measures, using a micrometric eyepiece, the thickness of the tumor from the granular layer of the epidermis to the deep part of the tumor. The letter N indicates whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Finally, the M specifies whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body; this is called metastasis.

For more information on melanoma, you can also consult the site of the Skin Cancer Group.

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What are the treatments for melanoma?

Melanoma can be treated in different ways depending on the stage of the cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy... Chemotherapies that are often used are Dacarbazine (Deticene®) Or the Fotemustine (Muphoran®). Among immunotherapies, the monoclonal antibodies most frequently used against cutaneous melanoma are antibodies Anti-PDL1 : Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) and Nivolumab (Opdivo®) And antibodies Anti-CTLA4 : Ipililumab (Yervoy®). Targeted therapies include, for example, the following treatments: Vemurafenib (Zelboraf®), Dabrafenib (Tafinlar®), Encorafenib (Braftovi®)...

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In addition, treatments are also available via clinical trials. Do not hesitate to do a search by going to the Klineo platform.

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Sources: France Asso Cancer and Skin, Skin Cancer Group, Academy of Medicine