Amelanotic Melanoma and Subungual Melanoma

Thanks Doctor Berman for this important information.

Please read more in our Skin Cancer Basics as well as finding out more about you own possible condition  in Check a Symptom.

All the Best, SMM 

Dear Dr.

As a person who's had melanoma, basil cell and squamous cell skin cancers, I was happy to learn of the two variants of melanoma. Would it be possible to show pictures of these variant melanomas to help us identify them on ourselves?

Thank you

Janice

Chicago

Thanks for quick reference. Have seen both types of described melanoma, but have not seen nor heard of amelanotic subungual melanoma. Is there such an entity reported? What about widenening  decreasing demarcation of white subungual line?

Thanks

Tom C M.D.

My name is Lisa. I am 35 years old. I was told when I was 10 years old, that I had skin cancer on my face. By the age of 15, I was told in was not cancer, but it was: (i will try to spell it right)

Trichoepothelioma......hair folical tumors which where caused from the mutation of the genes when I was conceived.  I would like to have a dermatologist from the University of Michigan take a look. I saw this on a special on Chicago's channel 7 special report on Saturday May 30th, at 4pm.

I had this melanoma under my thumbnail.  The treatment was amputation of the first digit of the thumb.  I had the stripe you have defined for many years before a darker spot appeared and the cuticle discolored.  Fortunately there was no further finding of cancer in my sentinel node and the amputation went surprisingly well.  It is more an inconvenience to have this much of my thumb gone than a problem.  All I can say is pay attention and have it checked early.  I might have avoided amputation had I had it diagnosed properly earlier on.