melanoma

American  

[mel-uh-noh-muh] / ˌmɛl əˈnoʊ mə /

noun

• melanomas,
  plural
• melanomata
  plural

1. any of several types of skin tumors characterized by the malignant growth of melanocytes.

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melanoma British  

/ ˌmɛləˈnəʊmə /

noun

1. pathol a malignant tumour composed of melanocytes, occurring esp in the skin, often as a result of excessive exposure to sunlight

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melanoma Scientific  

/ mĕl′ə-nō′mə /

• melanomas
  plural

1. A dark-pigmented benign or malignant tumor that arises from a melanocyte and occurs most commonly in the skin. Malignant melanoma metastasizes quickly and is associated with sun exposure.

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melanoma Cultural  

1. A serious, often lethal, form of skin cancer.

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Discover More

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun (for example, by too much sunbathing) can cause this disease.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• melanomas
  plural
• melanomata
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of melanoma

First recorded in 1825–35; melan- + -oma

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Explanation

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It's important to wear sunblock and protective clothing to protect your skin and prevent melanoma. Melanoma is used for the disease itself and also an individual tumor on the skin. A melanoma often starts as a mole that grows larger or becomes irregular in shape or color. Melanoma is dangerous and fast-spreading, so it's important for people to consult a doctor if they think they have a melanoma. The medical suffix -oma, often used for tumors or growths, is added to the Greek melas, "black."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melanoma melanomas melanomata

Bancel said the vaccine, known as intismeran, delivered a similar-size benefit in melanoma that started Keytruda, Merck’s immunotherapy, on its road to becoming a blockbuster drug.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Intismeran is a brand-new mRNA technology that uses a patient’s own cancer cells to create a custom treatment that is administered alongside Keytruda, which is commonly prescribed to people with melanoma after surgery.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

But oncologists say not all patients with melanoma are the right fit for neoadjuvant immunotherapy, and analysts argue that it’s unfair to compare the trials, which aren’t designed the same way.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Among 1,137 patients whose melanoma had been surgically removed, adding the vaccine to Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda cut the risk of the cancer returning, or of death, by 42% compared with Keytruda alone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

I drop my gaze, notice a fatal melanoma on his arm, see his life pass before my eyes, then realize with relief it’s a dot of clay.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

"Most melanomas don't come from existing moles - so if you notice something new, get it checked," she adds.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025

When attempting to detect skin cancers, for example, mistakes are often made by the human examiners who confuse very similar-looking but harmless conditions with potentially fatal melanomas.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2024

Cancers that can spread to the prostate include melanomas, he said.

From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2024

A handful of drugs known as histone deacetylase inhibitors — basically regulating the histone messaging to genes — have been developed to treat melanomas, lymphoma and other blood-borne cancers.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2023

We examined DNA sequencing data from hundreds of melanomas, looking for mutations in genes related to telomere length.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2022

He found his moles, proved that the cancers were unsuspected melanomata.

From Time Magazine Archive

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