melanoma

[mel-uh-noh-muh]

noun

plural

melanomas, melanomata 

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

melanoma

/ ˌmɛləˈnəʊmə /

noun

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

melanoma

plural

melanomas 

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.

melanoma

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of melanoma¹

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

Example Sentences

Of the metastatic melanoma patients, 43 received a vaccine within 100 days of initiating immunotherapy, while 167 patients did not receive a vaccine.

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When the mice were systemically exposed to melanoma cells to mimic metastasis, none of the nanoparticle-vaccinated mice developed lung tumors, while every other mouse did.

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For some, including melanoma skin cancer, 10-year survival is now above 90%, while for all cancers, half of patients can expect to live that long - double the figure in the early 1970s.

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Early mRNA vaccine trials also indicated the recurrence of melanoma could be cut in half.

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"People think melanoma is an older person's disease," she says, "but it's often seeded in childhood."

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