Malignant melanoma is a highly malignant skin cancer, which mainly originates from malignant lesions of melanocytes.
What are the types of malignant melanoma?
1. Freckle type of melanoma
The incidence of this type of melanoma is generally 10% to 15%, and it often occurs in exposed parts such as the head, neck, and back of the hand.
Clinically, it manifests as larger, flat or slightly higher than the skin surface brown or brown lesions. The lymph node metastasis rate is about 25%.
2. Nodular type of melanoma
This type is the most malignant of the four types of malignant melanoma, with an incidence of about 12%, and it often occurs on the back.
Clinically, it is a gray nodule with a pink color. When the lesion continues to grow, its color turns blue-black, and the surface is purple-black jam-like dome or polyp-like mass.
Vertical growth is its only way of spreading, and the course of the disease progresses rapidly, generally lasting for several months to 1 year, and ulcers and lymph node metastasis occur earlier. This type of melanoma generally has a poor prognosis.
3. Superficial spreading type of melanoma
This type of melanoma is the most common, accounting for about 70%. Women are more likely to develop the disease in the limbs, while men are more likely to develop the disease in the trunk.
This type of early manifestation is brown, brown, blue or black, most of which can be rose red or pink, and its surface edges are serrated. The radiation growth period lasts for 1 to 12 years, and less than 5% of patients have lymph node metastasis during this period.
4. Acromelanotic melanoma
It mainly occurs in the palms, soles and subungual areas. The surface color is brown, brown or black during the radiation growth period.
The radiation growth period lasts for about 1 year. If there is no timely intervention treatment, it will enter the vertical growth period. The lesions will be nodular and the lymph node metastasis rate will also increase. The prognosis is also poor after entering the vertical growth period.