About Melanin:
Melanin is a substance in your body that produces hair, eye and skin pigmentation. The more melanin you produce, the darker your eyes, hair and skin will be. The amount of melanin in your body depends on a few different factors, including genetics and how much sun exposure your ancestral population .
Melanin is a natural skin pigment. Hair, skin, and eye color in people and animals mostly depends on the type and amount of melanin they have. Special skin cells called" melanocytes" make melanin. Everyone has the same number of melanocytes, but some people make more melanin than others.
Melanin gives the skin its color. In certain conditions melanocytes can become abnormal and cause an excessive amount of darkening in the color of the skin.
The main function of melanin pigment:
Melanin provides pigmentation to your skin, eyes and hair. The substance also absorbs harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays and protects your cells from sun damage.
The food for increasing melanin in skin:
You get vitamin A from the food you eat, especially vegetables that contain beta carotene, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and peas. Since vitamin A also functions as an antioxidant, some researchers believe this vitamin, more than any other, may be the key to melanin production.
Foods to reduce melanin
include healthy fruits and vegetables such as oranges, berries, tangerines, papaya, limes, kiwi, guava, lemons, mangoes, grapes, spinach, carrots, beetroot, broccoli, etc. in your diet regularly.
Very pale skin produces almost no melanin, while Asian skins produce a yellowish type of melanin called phaeomelanin and black skins produce the darkest, thickest melanin of all known as eumelanine.
The more melanin you have, the darker your skin is. Sometimes, melanin can build up in some areas and cause darkening of the skin, which doctors may call hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is when parts of your skin are darker than others.
Indian skin tone is often defined as having a wheatish complexion, meaning it has a light brown complexion that is similar to the color of wheat. It is darker than fair or peach but is lighter than dusk. The exact hue is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin.
African and Indian skin had the highest total amount of melanin in the epidermis (t-test; P < 0.001), with no significant difference between them. Amongst the remaining lighter groups, there was no significant difference in total epidermal melanin content.
African skin has the most melanin in the world:
Analysis of melanosome size revealed a significant and progressive variation in size with ethnicity: African skin having the largest melanosomes followed in turn by Indian, Mexican, Chinese and European.Melanosomes are intracellular organelles that are uniquely generated by pigment cells in the skin and eye, where they function to synthesize and store melanin pigments.
About Melanocytes and their functions:
The melanocytes are produced in stratum basale of epidermis.
Melanocytes are melanin producing cells found mainly in the lowest part of the top layer of your skin or to put it in science speak: the stratum basale of epidermis.
The main function of the melanocytes is to produce melanin pigment.Melanocyte is a highly differentiated cell that produces a pigment melanin inside the melanosomes. This cell is dark and dendritic in shape. Melanin production is the basic function of the melanocyte . With the process of differentiation this cell loses the proliferative potential.
Melanocytes can be destroyed by an
autoimmune reaction. Investigators have proposed that melanocytes are destroyed by an immune mechanism. Antibodies against melanocyte antigens have been detected in patients with vitiligo.
The lack melanocytes results in condition called vitiligo.It is a condition in which the skin loses its pigment cells -melanocytes. This can result in discolored patches in different areas of the body, including the skin, hair and the mucous membranes. Vitiligo is a disease that causes loss of skin color in patches.
The melanocytes protect us from U.V.radiation.
UV-A radiation causes lesions or DNA damage to melanocytes, which are the skin cells that produce the skin pigment known as melanin. Melanin is a protective pigment in skin, blocking UV radiation from damaging DNA and potentially causing skin cancer.Melanin protects us from Skin cancer .
About Melanoma - Skin cancer:
Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin , the pigment that gives skin its color. Melanoma can also form in eyes and, rarely, inside body, such as in nose or throat.Melanoma is the most invasive skin cancer with the highest risk of death. While it's a serious skin cancer, it's highly curable if caught early. Prevention and early treatment are critical, especially if you have fair skin, blonde or red hair and blue eyes.
Melanomas can develop anywhere on the skin, but they are more likely to start on the trunk (chest and back) in men and on the legs in women. The neck and face are other common sites.
Melanoma of skin is the 17th most common cancer worldwide. It is the 13th most common cancer in men and the 15th most common cancer in women. There were more than 150,000 new cases of melanoma of skin in 2020.
The incidence of melanoma worldwide:
Worldwide incidence of melanoma has steadily increased over the last several decades. Annual incidence has risen as rapidly as 4–6% in many fair-skinned populations that predominate regions like North America, Northern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
In the past decade (2012 – 2022), the number of new invasive melanoma cases diagnosed annually increased by 31 percent. An estimated 7,650 people will die of melanoma in 2022. Of those, 5,080 will be men and 2,570 will be women.
The driving factor for the increase in melanoma incidence is simply an aging population as cancer risk increases with age. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, most skin cancer patients are over the age of 65. Over time, our bodies' ability to fight cancer mutations decreases.
As we age, our bodies' ability to fight mutation decreases, while DNA damage increases, leading to higher melanoma rates among aging populations. At the same time, life expectancy rises globally, leading to a larger aging population and thus more incidences of skin cancer and melanoma.
Incidence of Melanoma in India:
Malignant melanoma (MM) is rare in India. Indian data on demography and treatment outcome on advanced MM is very limited.
Malignant melanoma is an extremely rare malignancy in the Indian subcontinent and South east Asia. Its already known that Asian countries have different clinical presentation of melanoma.
Although the incidence of all types of skin cancers is thought to be lower among Indians due to the protective effect of melanin, there are several smaller reports that NMSCs may be on the rise in Therefore we must have scientific knowledge about Melanoma.
Bangladesh had the fewest cases, followed by Iraq, Egypt, India and Pakistan.
The skin cancer incidence is high in Australia:
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer-melanoma in the world. This is due largely to its climate, the fact that many of Australians have fair skin that isn't really suited to such harsh conditions, proximity of Australia to the equator (high UV levels) and social attitudes and love for the outdoors.
Increasing incidence of melanoma a skin cancer in New Zealand:
Most New Zealanders will have some experience of it either personally or through a relative or friend. More people are developing cancer mainly because the day by day population is growing and getting older.The skin cancer so common in New Zealand due to fair skin and exposure to the U.V.that is
Ultraviolet radiation.
UV radiation from the sun and tanning devices are the primary cause of the uncontrolled melanocyte proliferation seen in melanoma in white skin. New Zealand has relatively high levels of UV radiation compared to the same latitudes in the Northern hemisphere. However, according to Abeck, “the index reveals that countries such as New Zealand and Australia, which have some of the highest incidences of skin cancer, also have some of the lowest death rates due to high levels of health expenditure.”
Risk of getting melanoma. Melanoma is more than 20 times more common in whites than in African Americans. Overall, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 2.6% (1 in 38) for whites, 0.1% (1 in 1,000) for Blacks, and 0.6% (1 in 167) for Hispanics.
Metastatic melanoma was once almost a death sentence, with a median survival of less than a year. Now, some patients are living for years, with a few out at more than 10 years.
Melanoma cases in US:
In 2021, an estimated 106,110 new cases of invasive melanoma and 101,280 cases of in situ melanoma will be diagnosed in the US, while 7,180 people will die from the disease.In USA; Utah, Delaware, Vermont, Minnesota and Idaho states have the highest skin cancer rates of all U.S. states, and their residents are at higher risk for melanoma than those in Florida, California or Texas, according to the CDC.
Melanoma cases in Europe:
In Europe, approximately 26,100 males and 33,300 females are diagnosed each year with melanoma, and around 8,300 males and 7,600 females die of it
(Ferlay et al., 2001). It is the 8th most commonly diagnosed cancer in females and 17th in males.Mortality and incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin is increasing at a rate of between 3 and 7% per year in many European countries. All over Europe melanoma is the cancer showing the most rapid increase in incidence.
White people are more likely to develop many types of skin cancer than any other racial group. This is because they have less melanin in their skin, which gives skin its color. Melanin provides some protection against UV light, which is a leading cause of skin cancer.
Survival for all stages of melanoma:
Around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis. more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.
Melanomas are generally much more dangerous than carcinomas. Early detection helps with treatment in both cases and can be a key to dealing with the problem.
Symptoms might include a new, unusual growth or a change in an existing mole.
Symptoms might include a new, unusual growth or a change in an existing mole. Melanomas can occur anywhere on the body.
Common symptoms: bigger mole diameter, darkening of the skin, mole color changes, or skin mole with irregular border.
Melanoma. The first sign of melanoma is often a mole that changes size, shape or color. This melanoma shows color variations and an irregular border.
The early warning signs of melanoma:
The most important warning sign of melanoma is a new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color. Another important sign is a spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin- known as the ugly duckling sign.The skin lesion may feel different and may itch, ooze, or bleed, but a melanoma skin lesion usually does not cause pain.
General symptoms:
hard or swollen lymph nodes. hard lump on your skin. unexplained pain. feeling very tired or unwell.
The three signs symptoms of Melanoma:
(1)A large brownish spot with darker speckles.
(2)A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds.
(3)A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black.
A painful lesion that itches or burns.
Melanoma: Symptoms, Stages, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention :
Treatable by a medical professional
Requires a medical diagnosis
Lab tests or imaging often required.
Treatment depends on stage
Treatment may involve surgery, radiation, medication or in some cases, chemotherapy.
Medical procedure:
Radiation therapy and Mohs surgery
Surgery:Skin grafting and Wide local excision
Medications:
Antiviral drug, Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy
Consult a doctor for medical advice.
The main treatment for melanoma is surgical removal, or excision, of the primary melanoma on the skin. The extent of the surgery depends on the thickness of the melanoma. Most melanomas are found when they are less than 1.0 mm thick, and outpatient surgery is often the only treatment needed.
Treatment can completely cure melanoma in many cases, especially when it has not spread extensively. However, melanoma can also recur. It is natural to have questions about the treatment, its side effects, and the chances of cancer recurring.
Melanoma is the most invasive skin cancer with the highest risk of death. While it's a serious skin cancer, it's highly curable if caught early. Prevention and early treatment are critical, especially if you have fair skin, blonde or red hair and blue eyes.
Stage IA Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is less than 1.0 millimeter thick (less than the size of a sharpened pencil point) with or without ulceration (broken skin) when viewed under the microscope.
Stage IB Melanoma: The melanoma tumor is more than 1.0 millimeter and less than 2.0 millimeters thick without ulceration.
Melanoma should be removed within 4-6 weeks
Hypothesis-based, informal guidelines recommend treatment within 4–6 weeks. In this study, median surgical intervals varied significantly between clinics and departments, but nearly all were within a 6-week frame.
Melanoma cells are dependent on glucose to grow and spread, Melbourne researchers have found, paving the way for therapies that can halt cancer growth by blocking its fuel source.
Melanoma is a most serious type of cancer that occurs when the pigment-producing cells that give colour to the skin become cancerous.
After you finish treatment, your dermatologist (or oncologist) will still want to see you regularly. Melanoma can return or spread after treatment. If this happens, it's most likely to occur within the first 5 years. During the first 5 years, you'll need thorough check-ups.
Use of Sun screen: If you've had melanoma, you should avoid spending too long in the sun. Your skin cancer specialist may suggest a high factor sunscreen such as 50 on any exposed skin. The higher SPF gives you extra protection but no sunscreen can provide 100% protection.
Vitamin C is good for melanoma:
Furthermore, vitamin C induced apoptosis in A375 cells by activating the Bax- and Bcl-2-mediated mitochondrial pathway. These results indicate that vitamin C may be a potentially useful clinical anti-tumor drug for treating patients with melanoma.
Vitamins D is good for melanom:
The best-proven benefits of vitamin D are bone-building and immune-boosting, but a 2011 study from the national Women's Health Initiative found that women with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer who took low levels (400 international units, or IU) of vitamin D plus calcium supplements reduced their melanoma risk.Some studies suggest a protective role of vitamin D in melanoma, whereas results on the relationship between dietary intake of vitamin D and risk are controversial and there is inadequate evidence to suggest that vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk for melanoma.
Knowledge is the best way of prevention of disease.Stay fit and healthy.
Author:Dr. Bhairavsinh Raol
