Melanoma

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, posing the greatest threat to life. Its incidence continues to rise over the years. It ranks as the 5th most common cancer in men and the 7th most common in women. In the general population, its frequency is quite high at around 2%, meaning melanoma is seen in 2 out of every 100 individuals.

Melanoma accounts for 75% of skin cancer-related deaths. It is a malignant tumor, hence the term "malignant" is redundant when describing it. There is no concept of benign melanoma; all melanomas are inherently malignant.

Melanoma originates from melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells found in the basal layer of the skin. Recent studies have highlighted the role of mutations in enzymes such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), its suppressor (CDKN2A), and the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) in melanocytes.