Skin is the most important and largest organ in our body. It covers and protects all organs in our body, helps to maintain the body temperature and has sense of touch. Cancerous cells can affect skin and the diseases that are related to malignancy in the skin are called melanoma. Melonocytes are cells that are involved in the production of the dark pigment melanin. Malignancy occurs due to the presence of cancerous cells in the melanocytes. It occurs when one is exposed to extreme levels of UV radiation and also due to the mutation of genetic material in the cell.
A melanoma oncologist is one who diagnosis and treats skin cancer. The physician checks if the patients have symptoms like any unusual growth in the skin with a color difference, lesions, and bleeding, itching, oozing and sore skin. He examines the tumor or the lesions and suggests the patients for a blood test and a punch biopsy. Punch biopsy reveals the intensity of the malignancy in the particular area. The melanoma oncologist then measures the melanoma using the Clark scale and the Berslow scale where it gives the level of cancer the patient is suffering from. There are five levels of cancer where the first level means the beginning stage.
The melanoma oncologist treats the patients depending on the level of cancer. If a patient is suffering from level 4 then the physician goes in for surgery. After surgery, he checks if the cancer has metastasis, if it has metastasized a special treatment called the Sentinel node or the blue dye test. The melonoma oncologist performs the blue dye test by inserting a radiated material followed by the blue dye in the affected area. This will travel through all the parts where there is metastasis. Following this treatment, the physician suggests the patients for a vaccine that prevents the growth of cancerous cells.
