Malignant Melanomas are less common than BCCs and SCCs, but are much more dangerous.
Australia has one of the world’s highest incidence of melanoma and more than 1200 people die from melanoma each year. A person’s risk of melanoma is significantly increased if they or a first degree family member have had a melanoma previously.
Like SCCs and BCCs, melanomas can occur on sun-exposed skin, but they also occur on skin that is usually covered, but has been sunburnt in the past. Rare places melanoma can develop include under nails, on the soles of your feet or even on the retina (back of the eye). Malignant melanomas may metastasise and cause death.
Most melanomas are usually asymptomatic, though uncommonly present with itch, or bleeding in the absence of trauma. Most malignant melanomas start as a new, often dark spot that continues to change. They may also occur in moles which may have been present for years but then change their appearance. Importantly, you are just as likely to develop a malignant melanoma from a changed mole as you are from skin without a pre-existing mole. Regular surveillance should be considered looking for the ‘ugly duckling’ (the lesion looks different to the rest of your other ‘normal’ spots) or new changing lesions.