Melanoma is one of the most commonly known and one of the most serious types of skin cancer known to mankind.

This type of cancer develops in the special cells called melanocytes that are responsible for the production of the pigment called melanin. Melanin is responsible for the color of your skin.

In this article, you will learn about the causes of Melanoma and some lesser known statistics about this skin cancer type.

What causes Melanoma?
The exact cause of melanoma is still not known. What you need to know is that melanoma is caused due to some disruption in the melanocyte cells.

Generally, when the new cells are formed, they push the old skins to the surface, where they die. The dead skins then fall from our body when we bath and exfoliate our skin. But in case of melanoma, the new cells experience some DNA damage. The damage leads to an abnormally rapid growth of the cells and they eventually become a pile of carcinogenic cells.

Common risk factors of Melanoma

• Overexposure to U.V rays
  Researchers and doctors believe that one of the primary causes of this skin cancer is long exposure to the harmful UV rays from the sun.
• Fair skin and light-colored eyes
  People with a fair complexion have less melanin in the skin compared to people with dark complexion. The thing is that the melanin protects you from the harsh UV rays of the sun. So, if you are fair, blonde, have light colored hair or eyes, and freckles on your skin, you are more vulnerable to developing melanoma than the rest of the human population.
• Family history
  In rare cases, about 10% of the total cases of Melanoma, can be linked to a family history of the disease. Note that you have a higher risk of developing the disease only if the illness runs in your immediate family, i.e. if your parents or siblings have melanoma.
• Having unusual moles
  It is common to have moles or freckles on your skin. But if you notice that you have an unusual looking mole, then it is best to get it checked. Doctors believe that if you have an excess of moles on your body or an irregular, large mole, then you are at a high risk of developing melanoma.
• Geographic factor
  Though there is not enough study material to prove it, geographical factors might affect your chances of developing melanoma. People living close to the equator or at a high altitude are more exposed to the harsh UV rays than those living far from the equator. Thus, it can be said that these people are more vulnerable to develop skin cancer than the rest of the world.

Melanoma statistics that you should be aware of-
It is found that people below 40 years, especially females are most vulnerable to developing this disease. Also, it is found that the survival rate increases considerably if you can detect it and get it treated at an early stage of the illness. The rates of melanoma have been rising in the past 30 years and it accounts for a majority of the deaths caused by skin cancer in the country. It is also said that white people are 20 times more likely to suffer from melanoma than African Americans.

Note that melanoma patients with a weakened immune system or who have had an organ transplant in the past, have a greater risk of dying from the illness than the normal melanoma patients.