Melanoma

What Causes Melanoma?

The most common risk factor for melanoma is overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays can damage skin cells’ DNA, causing them to grow and divide faster than normal cells and changing the tissues’ appearance. Tanning beds are also a major culprit in causing the disease since they, too, expose their users’ skin to dangerous UV rays.

Other risk factors for melanoma include:

• A personal or family history of melanoma
• Blistering sunburns, especially in young people
• Having freckles, fair skin, blue eyes, and blonde or red hair
• Having moles, especially atypical ones
• Living in high elevations or close to the equator
• Having a compromised immune system
• Having an ethnic heritage in northern European countries
• Being under 30 and female

Although people with northern European ancestry are at the highest risk, people of all ethnic backgrounds can develop the disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Melanoma?

Melanoma is difficult to detect because its symptoms are similar to other skin diseases. Since it spreads so quickly, it’s best to consult a doctor if a suspicious skin lesion erupts.

Look for moles, scaly patches, raised bumps, or open sores with any of the following characteristics, easy to remember for their alphabetical order:

• Asymmetric: Look for irregular skin lesions whose halves do not match.
• Borders: Look for skin eruptions without smooth edges.
• Color: Melanomas often have mottled or uneven colors that include various shades of white, gray, red, black, or brown.
• Diameter: Melanomas usually grow larger than six millimeters – about the size of a pencil eraser.
• Evolving: The lesion is either new or develops changes in shape, size, or color.

However, a few melanomas do not meet these criteria. For that reason, it’s essential for patients to consult their doctor if they notice unusual rashes, bumps, or other changes to warts or in other parts of their skin.

What Types of Melanomas Are There?

Doctors classify melanomas by the type of cells they contain. To determine what kind of cells are in the melanoma, they usually perform a biopsy, taking a small sample of tissue to study in the lab.

There are four general types of melanomas. They include:

• Superficial spreading melanoma: This is the most common kind of melanoma. It begins in the top layer of the skin. However, if it goes untreated, it will penetrate further into the skin.
• Nodular melanomas: The next most common kind of melanoma, these malignancies tend to be aggressive, growing quickly. Nodular melanomas form as a firm lump that rises above the surface of the skin.
• Lentigo maligna melanomas: These melanomas start on the scalp, face, or neck, usually on older people whose skin has undergone extreme sun damage.
• Acral lentiginous melanomas: These rare melanomas usually form on the soles of the feet, under the toenails, on the palms of the hands, and under the fingernails. Although people of all ethnic backgrounds can develop this condition, it is most common among people with Asian or African ancestry.

Other, rarer melanomas occur infrequently. Any lesions on the skin, eye, or internal body parts that do not resolve quickly merit a visit to the doctor to rule out the possibility of one of these rare malignancies.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Melanoma?

Patients who discover an irregular-looking mole or another suspicious growth should see their doctor right away. If possible, the doctor will likely remove the growth to see if it has cancer cells – and, if so, what kind.

If the doctor determines that the growth is a melanoma, they will check to see if it has spread into nearby tissues or organs. Then, the doctor will classify it by stage to arrive at the best treatment plan.

How Do Doctors Stage Melanomas?

Doctors group melanomas into stages based on the cancer’s location and how much it has spread. These stages include:

• Stage 0: The cancer has not spread beyond the top layer of the skin. Doctors call this stage “melanoma in situ.”
• Stage I: The malignancy is a low-risk type of melanoma and shows no evidence of spreading into surrounding tissues.
• Stage II: The cancer shows characteristics that put it at higher risk of recurrence; however, it has not spread into nearby tissues or elsewhere.
• Stage III: The cancer has spread into nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
• Stage IV: The melanoma has spread to internal organs or lymph nodes in other body areas.

How Can I Prevent Melanoma?

Fortunately, patients can reduce their risk of melanoma by taking several precautions. These measures include:

• Avoiding being out in the sun between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Using sunscreen and lip balm with an SPF of 30 or greater all year round
• Wearing protective clothing and headgear
• Avoiding tanning salons that use UV-emitting beds or lamps
• Checking one’s skin often for any changes
• Eating a diet rich in fish, vegetables, and fruits
• Drinking tea, especially green tea

What Natural Treatments Can Treat Melanoma?

Recent studies in holistic medicine have revealed that many nature-sourced compounds and non-toxic therapies hold great promise in treating various kinds of cancer, including melanoma. Here are a few of these natural treatments:

High-Dose Vitamin C IV Therapy

A 2014 medical literature review demonstrated vitamin C’s powerful effect on melanoma growth. Not only does it cause cell cycle arrest – and eventually, cell death – it also keeps new blood vessels from forming, slowing the spread of the disease.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy

In a 2016 melanoma study, pulsed electromagnetic fields showed great effectiveness against melanoma cells, boosting anticancer drugs’ effectiveness by increasing their uptake into the cancer cells, eventually slowing their growth. Patients looking for complementary treatments to traditional therapies should investigate PEMF therapy as a possible candidate for treatment in both its low-intensity and high-intensity forms.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid IV Therapy

Alpha-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant, occurs naturally in the human body and some foods. It’s also a potent weapon in the battle against cancer. This nature-sourced substance is especially effective in stopping the proliferation of melanoma cells, as a 2013 study found. Alpha-lipoic acid also uniquely induces cellular death in cells with abnormal nuclei – like cancer cells – while leaving healthy cells alone.

Detoxification Treatment (Chelation) Therapy

Studies show that chelation therapy, an intravenous treatment that binds substances to a compound called EDTA, has proven successful in removing heavy metals that activate the mitogen-activated kinase pathway (MAPK).

Since MAPK drives tumor growth, especially in melanomas and other BRAFV600E cancers, chelation therapy is an excellent non-toxic option for treating melanomas.

Mistletoe IV Therapy

Research demonstrates that mistletoe has a broad range of benefits beyond its use as a holiday decoration. Mistletoe extract contains lectins that induce cell death in cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. In addition, triterpene-containing mistletoe extracts outperform conventional treatments in treating melanomas thanks to their effectiveness in slowing the growth of new cancer-feeding blood vessels.

Learn How Natural Treatments for Melanoma Can Help You

If you’re looking for natural treatment options to treat your melanoma, the caring team of doctors at Brio-Medical can help. We’ll sit down with you for a free consultation to discuss your condition and arrive at a custom therapeutic plan that aligns with your treatment goals.

Whether you want to combine natural therapies with conventional ones or prefer an all-natural option, we will design the most effective course of treatment for your condition.

References:

“Cancer Stat Facts: Melanoma of the Skin.” National Cancer Institute, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html. Accessed 20 September 2022.

“Melanoma.” The Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14391-melanoma. Accessed 20 September 2022.

“What to look for: ABCDEs of melanoma.” American Academy of Dermatology Association,

https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/find/at-risk/abcdes. Accessed 20 September 2022.

“Melanoma.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/melanoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20374884. Accessed 20 September 2022.

Chinembiri, Tawona N et al. “Review of natural compounds for potential skin cancer treatment.” Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 19,8 11679-721. 6 Aug. 2014, doi:10.3390/molecules190811679.

Kranjc, Simona et al. “Electrochemotherapy by pulsed electromagnetic field treatment (PEMF) in mouse melanoma B16F10 in vivo.” Radiology and oncology vol. 50,1 39-48. 16 Feb. 2016, doi:10.1515/raon-2016-0014.

Kapoor, Shailendra. “The Anti-neoplastic Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Clinical Benefits in System Tumors besides Lung Carcinomas.” The Korean journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery vol. 46,2 (2013): 162-3. doi:10.5090/kjtcs.2013.46.2.162.

Baldari, Silvia et al. “Current Biomedical Use of Copper Chelation Therapy.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 21,3 1069. 6 Feb. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijms21031069.

“Mistletoe (European).” Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/mistletoe-european. Accessed 20 September 2022.