The subcutis helps protect the body's organs from any injury by its shock- absorbing effect, and it helps the body to conserve heat (Melanoma Skin Cancer, 2013). .
Melanoma skin cancer is also known as cutaneous melanoma and malignant melanoma. Most melanoma cells still make melanin and melanoma tumors are usually brown or black. Few melanomas cannot make melanin and are colored pink, tan, or even white. Melanomas can start anywhere, but are more common in certain areas of the skin. The chest and back are the most common places men get melanoma. The legs are the most common places found in women. Both sexes also commonly find melanoma on the neck and face. There are also much less common areas aside from melanomas of the skin, which can be sited in the eyes, mouth, genitals, and anal area (Melanoma Skin Cancer, 2013).
Melanocytic tumors that are malignant are multi- colored patches of skin, with irregular outlines that can easily scratch or bleed. A melanocytic tumor appears as a mole or nevus, which is a benign skin tumor that develops from melanocytes. This tumor can be seen as brown or black, but can also be non- pigmented, or without color (Society, 2012). There is a kind of skin tumor that sometimes looks like melanoma, which is called a Spitz nevus. This type of benign skin tumor does not spread, but is hard to differentiate from melanomas, even under a microscope. These types of tumors are cautiously removed (Society, 2012). .
Melanoma has the ability to metastasize if it is not found and treated early enough. This means that "the cancer spreads from its starting point in the primary tumor to other parts of the body, occurs when cancer reproduces and sheds cells through the lymphatic system and blood vessels "(Poole, p.73). Metastases have the ability to manifest themselves as "palpable lumps in the skin or lymph nodes, or they may occur within an internal organ and cause it to malfunction" (Poole, p.
