Melanoma

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melanoma, a spreading and frequently recurring cancer of specialized skin cells (melanocytes) that produce the protective skin-darkening pigment melanin. An estimated 132,000 new melanoma cases are diagnosed worldwide each year. In the United States melanoma represents nearly 5 percent of all cases of cancer. Melanoma is a deadly disease; it is responsible for nearly three-quarters of all skin cancer deaths and is increasing in frequency. Unlike other skin growths, melanoma is always malignant.