The History of Melanoma

The history of melanoma is described as an evolved situation of events. When dating back to the first time melanoma was found by surgery, the time was the year 1787. During this time, the person that discovered it, John Hunter, did not know what it was specifically. He had never seen anything like it. He quoted it as a cancerous fungous. He took out the tumor and they placed it in the Hunterian Museum which is located in the Royal College of Surgeons in England.

 

Around 1968, they discovered that the tumor showed signs of metastatic melanoma, which is a melanoma that affects the internal organs. Metastatic melanoma tends to show up in the third stage. The lymph nodes get affected and then take over the internal organs usually starting with the liver and lungs.

 

Melanoma was first called a disease by a man named Rene Laennec. The main history of melanoma starts here. In the history of melanoma, there were many lecture made by Rene in Paris around 1804-20. There were also writing and general educations about melanoma.

 

The idea that advanced melanoma was untreatable was first described by Samuel Cooper is 1840. This still holds true today. As the stages increase with melanoma, the less chance of survival the melanoma patient has.

 

Henry Lancaster also contributed in the history of melanoma as we know it today. He correlated that the sunlight intensity showed a very solid conformation that exposure to sunlight aids in the development of melanoma. The same exposure to tanning beds is just as likely to degrade and mutate skin cells. The degradation of skin cell DNA is directly linked to ultraviolet rays that the sun as well as the tanning bed emits. It is because of this that the melanoma can develop.

 

As the history of melanoma progresses, they find more ways to treat and remove the spots of cancer that pop up. As of now, there still exists no specific cancer cure for advancement of melanoma. There are many trial tests that are being preformed diligently but no solid evidence can prove effectiveness in each.

---

- Recommended Resource -

 

Melanoma Skin Cancer Advice: "How I survived melanoma skin cancer and how YOU can too!"

 

7 survivors of Melanoma tell their inspiring tales of how they beat Melanoma even at Stage 4....and how you can too...

 

 

 

---