How long does it take acral lentiginous melanoma to spread?

The duration of time starting from when these patients first noticed the pigmented lesions up to when they first visited the clinic ranged from 5 to 30 years (average duration: 13.3 years).

Does melanoma affect nails?

Subungual melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that occurs in the skin under your nails. Subungual melanomas are rare, seen in only 0.07% to 3.5% of the people in the world who have melanoma.

What does ALM melanoma look like?

What ALM Looks Like. ALM is typically a dark spot of skin that is surrounded by skin that remains your normal skin color. There is often a clear border between the dark skin and the lighter skin around it. This contrast in color is one of the most noticeable characteristics of this type of melanoma.

How aggressive is acral lentiginous melanoma?

Acral lentiginous melanoma is a very aggressive, malignant cutaneous tumor which has a predilection for the plantar surface of the feet, palms of the hand, and the digits. The lesion presents as a rapidly spreading, darkly pigmented patch and may display varying degrees of pigmentation.

Is acral lentiginous melanoma slow growing?

Acral lentiginous melanoma starts as a slowly-enlarging flat patch of discoloured skin. At first, the malignant cells remain within the tissue of origin, the epidermis — the in situ phase of melanoma, which can persist for months or years.

How rare is acral lentiginous melanoma?

Acral lentiginous melanoma represents approximately 5% of melanomas diagnosed each year. It is found on the palms, soles, and in association with the nail unit [2].

Is acral lentiginous melanoma curable?

Acral lentiginous melanoma is highly curable when diagnosed early. The goals of treatment are to: cure the cancer.

Is acral lentiginous melanoma fatal?

Acral lentiginous melanoma in situ is not dangerous; it only becomes potentially life-threatening if an invasive melanoma develops within it. The risk of spread from invasive melanoma depends on several factors, but the main one is the measured thickness of the melanoma at the time it was surgically removed.

What causes melanoma under toenail?

The exact cause of melanoma of nail is unknown, but the presumable causes include too much exposure to UV radiation of sun. This may cause damage to the DNA and promote accelerated growth of certain cells that develop into cancer.

Is that Blood Under my nail or is it melanoma?

Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that can cause skin – including the skin under the nails – to discolor and sometimes bleed. Melanoma in the nail bed is rare, occurring in just about 1 in 1 million people. But it tends to get diagnosed later and therefore is more likely to be deadly.

Are black lines in fingernails melanoma?

More seriously, a black line or lines on the nails can indicate the presence of melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer. Melanoma under a fingernail is known as subungual melanoma. One of the melanoma types is known as acral lentiginous melanoma ( ALM ).