An alarming time-lapse video shows how a small dark spot on the skin can turn into a deadly melanoma cancer over the course of a decade.
Doctors recommend that we all be aware of new spots or changes in existing ones, which are warning symptoms of melanoma.
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But the revealing clip clarifies how subtle and gradual these skin changes can be.
Detecting melanoma skin cancer early can make a big difference to how treatable it is, so it’s important that you have a family doctor examine new or changed moles as soon as you notice them.
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, with around 16,000 people diagnosed each year.
Melanoma UK warns that cases are also increasing.
And although the risk of melanoma increases with age, the charity said “the number of cases diagnosed in young people is disproportionately high”, making it one of the most common cancers in people aged 15 to 34.
It comes after scientists recently began testing a personalized mRNA cancer injection for melanoma in British patients.
The “gamechanger” mRNA vaccine also has the potential to stop bladder, lung and kidney cancer.
Prepared by Dr. Christopher Chang, consultant at Fauquier OtorhinolaryngologistThe chilling time-lapse used AI to show what melanoma skin cancer could look like as it develops over 10 years.
“Obviously, this time lag cannot be realistically accomplished, as there is no way of knowing whether a given area of skin will turn into cancer,” he wrote.
The clip shows a small spot on the skin that gradually darkens, progressing from stage 0 to stage 4 melanoma as a mole forms.
At first, the skin spot looks like a freckle or age spot and is barely visible on the rest of the skin.
It wasn’t until the sixth year of the time lapse that the mark evolved into stage 0 melanoma, with the slightly oblong area of skin taking on a light purplish-brown hue.
Doctors often use a numbered staging system to describe skin cancer.
In stage 0, cancer cells are only present in the top layer of the skin – the epidermis – and have not spread to the bottom layer, called the epidermis.
This is also known as melanoma in situ, according to Melanoma UK.
“People with melanoma in situ generally do not have any risk of the melanoma spreading to other parts of the body,” he said.
After the sixth year of the time lapse, things progress more quickly.
In the seventh year, the spot grew a little more and darkened, evolving into stage 1 melanoma.
At this point, melanomas tend to be no more than 2 mm thick and have not spread, according to Melanoma UK, although they may show signs of ulceration.
In stage 2, the time lapse shows that the melanoma has darkened considerably.
It has an irregular border and two different colors, both of which are important warning signs for melanoma.
In stage 2, melanomas are usually thicker than in stage 1, but they have not spread to other parts of the body.
But in stage 3, the cancer will have spread to the lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes closest to the melanoma, Melanoma UK explained.
The timelapse showed the mole becoming darker and thicker at this stage, with a reddish border.
By the ninth year, the melanoma had progressed to stage 4, developing a dark, crusty surface and taking on an almost black hue.
Stage 4 melanoma means the cancer has spread to other organs, such as the lungs, liver, bones, or brain.
This is called metastatic melanoma.
WHEN SHOULD I SEE A GP ABOUT POSSIBLE SKIN CANCER SYMPTOMS?
Some melanomas develop from existing moles.
But the rest grows into what was once normal skin.
You should see if you notice a:
- new abnormal mole
- mole that appears to be growing or changing
- change to a previously normal patch of skin
- a wart that itches or hurts
- a mole that is bleeding or crusting
- a mole that appears inflamed
- unusual mark or lump on your skin that lasts more than a few weeks — especially if you’re immunocompromised
- a dark area or line under a nail that is not caused by an injury
The earlier a melanoma is detected, the easier it is to treat and the more likely it is that treatment will be successful.
To assess whether a mole or mole has changed or needs medical attention, using the ABCDE method (described below) can be helpful.
What is melanoma, what are the symptoms and how to prevent it?
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that tends to spread throughout the body.
It is diagnosed 16,000 times a year and tragically claims the lives of 2,340 people each year.
The number of people diagnosed with melanoma is rising and it is the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK.
But it is also one of the most preventable cancers, with 86 per cent of cases preventable in the UK.
The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to protect yourself from the sun – use SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses, and stay out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advisable to avoid sun loungers.
People with fair skin, blue or green eyes, blond or red hair, and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to develop skin cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, especially if it is detected early. This will involve removing the affected skin tissue.
Radiation therapy, medications, and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try to stop cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The main thing to watch for is changes to an existing wart or a new skin wart.
Most experts recommend using the simple “ABCDE” rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body.
There are five letters/words to remember:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are irregular in shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or irregular border
- Wcolors – melanomas are usually a mixture of two or more colors
- Ddiameter – most melanomas are usually more than 6 mm in diameter
- ANDenlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be melanoma
A mole that changes size, shape or color could be melanoma.
But other signs to look out for include spots that are:
- Swollen and painful
- Bleeding
- Prickly
- Hard
How deadly is this?
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer.
A person’s illness outlook depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed.
Survival is better for women than men.
“We don’t know exactly why this happens. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage,” says Cancer Research UK.
The charity says that overall, statistics show that in England, more than 85 in every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive melanoma for 10 years or more after being diagnosed.
- Around 100 per cent in England diagnosed with stage 1 melanoma – when cancer cells are only in the top layer of skin – will survive for five years or more after diagnosis.
- About 70% live another five years when they are diagnosed at stage 3, which is when the cancer starts to spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- In stage 4, when melanoma has spread to other parts of the body, nearly 30% survive the cancer for 5 years or more.
Cancer Research says stage 4 data does not take age differences into account. Age can affect outlook and young people have a better prognosis than older people.
Age can affect outlook and young people have a better prognosis than older people.
What is melanoma?
Melanocytes are skin cells that give us skin color because they produce a pigment known as melanin.
When you expose yourself to the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun’s rays.
But melanocytes are also where cancer starts.
Too much UV causes sunburn and this is a sign of damage to the skin’s DNA.
UV radiation triggers changes in melanocytes, which causes the genetic material to become defective and cause abnormal cell growth.
People who burn easily are at greater risk of skin cancer because their cells don’t produce as much pigment to protect the skin.
Those with albinism are at greater risk because their skin does not produce any pigment.
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