Diagnosis of malignant melanoma
The dermatologist will first ask about any family history of melanoma and will also ask about the risk factors that the patient may have such as excessive unprotected sunlight exposure. They will then examine the lesion in question with the naked eye or with an instrument called a dermatoscope to view the lesion in more detail. If it looks suspicious, they may order a tissue biopsy, where the bump is removed and examined under a microscope to check if the cells look abnormal, in order to determine what type of mass it is. The physician may ask the patient to disrobe completely in order to perform a total body skin examination, since a significant number of Melanomas are discovered accidentally.
As mentioned above, the tumor may spread to the nearby lymph nodes, so some patients may need a lymph node biopsy. Similarly, because of the tumour’s ability to spread into other organs, various radiographic studies may be ordered of the different body parts. These include a CT scan of the chest, abdomen, or pelvis, an MRI of the brain, or a PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography).
A blood sample may also be ordered. This allows the measurement of the levels of certain substances that are increased in case of a malignant tumour, thus they are called tumkr markers, including alkaline phosphatase and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH). The blood sample may also allow an assessment of the overall health of the patient and of the side effects of any medications being administered.
