Skin Cancer Isn’t Limited To The Skin: 7 Body Parts Where It Can Develop
Source: Medical Daily, April 2023
Skin cancer is a debilitating disease caused by the growth of cells in a disorderly manner. The multiplying cells–especially cancerous ones–can spread to other parts of the body through a process called metastasis. To scientists, the branched-out cells look exactly the same as those in the skin. However, given that cancer is named on the basis of the place where it starts, benign cells that spread from the skin to the other body parts will be still called skin cancer cells.
That brings us to the conclusion that skin cancer isn’t limited to the skin. As per a report published by MD Anderson Cancer Center, melanoma or skin cancer cells originate in melanocytes, the substance that causes skin pigment. When they make their way to other body parts, they are called noncutaneous melanomas which aren’t caused by UV rays emitted by the Sun or heredity, as normally perceived.
The study has listed the surprising sites where noncutaneous melanomas can form and they are as follows: