Metastatic melanoma prevention
Metastatic melanoma – also called stage 4 melanoma – occurs when melanoma spreads to distant areas of the body.
Avoiding metastatic melanoma potentially involves two parts: avoiding melanoma in the first place – and diagnosing it early if it's been contracted.
Avoiding melanoma in the first place
Needless to say, metastatic melanoma is best avoided by not contracting melanoma.
Luckily, you can significantly reduce your chances of getting melanoma by minimising exposure to the sun.
Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays – called UV rays – which are a major cause of the disease. In fact, it’s believed that up to 65% of melanoma cases are caused by exposure to the sun.
To reduce your chances of getting melanoma, you should avoid the sun when it’s at its most intense. This will vary by location. However, a good rule of thumb is to stay out of the sun between 10AM and 4PM.
At other times, protect yourself by covering your skin. Wear long sleeve shirts, long trousers and a hat with a brim large enough to protect your ears.
Meanwhile, exposed areas of your body like your face, neck and hands should be covered in sunscreen. To be effective, you need sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Besides avoiding the sun, you must also avoid other sources of ultraviolet radiation. In particular, sun beds and sun lamps. Research suggests that these sources are as likely to cause melanoma as the sun itself.
Protecting yourself against UV rays is only part of the strategy for avoiding melanoma. The other part is regularly checking your skin. On that note, you should check your skin monthly. This simply involves spending a few minutes in front of a mirror checking your whole body for suspicious growths.
When checking for melanoma, search for any abnormal skin growth or change in the color, shape, size, or appearance of a skin growth. Keep an eye out for injured skin that doesn’t heal. If you see anything unusual, see your doctor.
Stopping melanoma becoming metastatic melanoma
Among people who contract melanoma, there are a number of steps which will significantly reduce the chance that it spreads elsewhere in the body.
The most important of these is catching the disease early. If the cancer only affects the skin – known as ‘primary melanoma’ – you will have surgery to remove the affected skin. This may cure you.
However, if the disease has progressed, it’s likely that other treatment options will be used to stop it turning into metastatic melanoma.
