Home > Cancer and Treatments

Melanoma (Skin) Cancer

Definition

Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer. It is not as common as other types of skin cancer, but it is the most serious. Melanoma can affect your skin only, or it may spread to your organs and bones. Luckily, it can be cured if it's found and treated early.

You can get melanoma by spending too much time in the sun. This causes normal skin cells to become abnormal. These abnormal cells quickly grow out of control and attack the tissues around them.

Melanoma tends to run in families. Other things in your family background can increase your chances of getting the disease. For example, you may have abnormal, or atypical, moles. Atypical moles may fade into the skin and have a flat part that is level with the skin. They may be smooth or slightly scaly, or they may look rough and "pebbly." These moles don't cause cancer by themselves. But having many of them is a sign that melanoma may run in your family.

Learn more by visiting Skin Cancer, Melanoma part of the U-M Health System's Healthwise Knowledge base.

Why Choose Us?

The Skin Cancer Program at the U-M Health System treats all types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal and squamous cell carcinomas (using Mohs surgery), and Merkel cell carcinomas - an aggressive form of skin cancer that is treated by only a small number of providers throughout the country.

The treatment provided by the Skin Cancer Program involves much more than the skin; we take great care with the removal of the cancer, and also with your emotional and psychological well-being. Building on a long history of success in the field, we are continually improving treatments based on the latest research available.

Our treatment involves much more than the skin; we also support your emotional and psychological well-being. We are continually improving treatments based on the latest research available.

Getting Treatment

Melanoma is treated in The Multidisciplinary Melanoma Clinic.

Meet the Melanoma Team

Make an Appointment.

View our video, on-line!

Return to the top of the page

May is National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month   Learn more

Adjust text size