Melanoma and Children
Melanoma is a very aggressive skin cancer that originates from melanocytes, cells that produce melanin, a substance that gives the skin its dark color.
Fortunately, when we talk about melanoma in children, we are talking about a very rare skin tumor, as the latest epidemiological studies have shown that in America only 300 children are diagnosed with melanoma each year. However, this does not mean complacency, as the skin has the ability to “remember” and thus the intense and continuous exposure of the child to ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of melanoma in the future.
The risk factors for the appearance of melanoma are:
- Exposure to ultraviolet radiation
- Fair skin
- Large congenital moles (moles that appear at birth and are over 40cm)
- Personal history of melanoma
- Family history of melanoma
- Mutation in specific genes
- Many atypical moles
- Melagromatic xeroderma (hereditary condition)
Because observation by the child himself and by the parents plays a very important role in early diagnosis, it would be good for everyone to be able to distinguish any changes that may occur in a mole for early diagnosis. For this reason, a code consisting of the first 5 letters of the English alphabet has been established worldwide and is a guide to the early warning signs of melanoma.
These are A, B, C, D, E, where:
A. the asymmetry
B. (Order): the limit where it should normally be uniform
C. (Color): the color, where a mole should be monochromatic
D. (Diameter): the diameter of a mole should ideally not exceed 6 mm and
E. (Evolution): the evolution of a mole, where simple benign moles remain unchanged, while we should be concerned when a mole begins to change.
As we mentioned, sunburn in childhood is one of the risk factors for developing melanoma later in life. That is why it is essential that children are educated in the use of sunscreen, that they learn that they should avoid exposure during the summer months during midday hours, that they should apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before exposure, and that they should reapply it approximately every 2 hours.
Sunscreens should always have a protection factor of 30+ to 50+, never less, while it would be good for infants to use sunscreens with mainly natural filters. This ensures that the sunscreen protects them from both harmful UVA rays and dangerous UVB rays.
