September 4, 2006
What is melanoma?
The doctor is in… by Dr. Jim Vizcayno
MELANOMA is a type of skin cancer. It begins in certain cells in the skin called melanocytes. Each year more than 53,600 people in the United States find out they have melanoma. To understand melanoma, it is helpful to know about the skin and about melanocytes, what they do, how they grow and what happens when they become cancerous.
The skin is the body’s largest organ. It protects us against sunlight, injury and infection. It helps regulate body temperature, stores water and fat, and produces Vitamin D. The skin has two main layers: the outer epidermis and the inner dermis. Read more