Can Skin Cancer be Triggered by Trauma ? (Acral Melanoma)

A JAAD Case Reports publication: click HERE for free full article (selected by Dr Christophe HSU, MD  – Dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland)

Comments

• Acral Melanoma is a skin cancer arising from the extremities (feet, hands) and is derived from cancerous degeneration of the pigment cells of the skin (melanocytes)
  • It carries a terrible prognosis as they are more advanced at the time of presentation (increase invasion)
  • One of the reasons for this is that people with a darker skin phototype (Black skin for example) have a false sense of protection and tend to avoid being self aware of moles or do regular skin checks.
• Acral skin such as the palms and soles has less melanin (pigment contained in melanocytes) and the cell nucleus is more subject to the effects of sun exposure.
• This case report, however, concerns a 47 year old Caucasian male (phototype I or II acording to clinical appearance seen on the photographs (not formally mentioned in the text). As in Bob Marley, it appeared after a traumaThe singer Bob Marley died of Acral Melanoma (click HERE to read more)

• To read more about prevention of melanoma, click HERE (second part of the article)
• To read all our articles on melanoma, click HERE
• To read general information on skin cancers, click HERE
• To read more on Skin Cancers and Sun protection, click HERE