Insights from The Orlando Senior Help Desk: Melanoma - how to recognize and treat it

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined. Among these cancers, melanoma is less common but far more dangerous because it is more likely to spread to other parts of the body if it is not detected early.

Melanoma accounts for about one percent of all skin cancers, yet it causes a large percentage of skin cancer deaths. The good news is that when melanoma is found early and treated promptly, the five-year survival rate is about 99 percent. That...