What to know about MIA and melanoma

Share on Pinterest

Melanocytes are the skin cells responsible for producing melanin, which provides the skin with pigment. In people with melanoma, abnormal melanocytes start growing uncontrollably. Without treatment, these cells can spread throughout the body and have serious health consequences.

Melanoma symptoms

The symptoms of melanoma may vary among individuals, and they may be more difficult to detect in people with dark skin. However, some of the more common symptoms of melanoma include:

• a mole that changes in appearance or shape
• bleeding growths on the skin
• patches of thicker skin that begin to spread
• spots on the skin with jagged edges or multiple colors

In most cases, melanomas are asymmetrical. They may also have irregular borders and color patterns. Finally, melanomas tend to change over time. Visiting a dermatologist regularly is the most effective way to detect melanoma before it becomes serious.

Causes of melanoma

The primary cause of melanoma is overexposure to UV radiation from the sun. Spending too much time in the sun without sunscreen or protective clothing can increase the risk of melanoma.

UV rays can damage the DNA within skin cells. Genetic mutations from UV exposure may harm skin cells and cause them to become cancerous.

In some cases, certain genetic mutations that cause melanoma can pass through families. People with a family history of melanoma should share this information with a medical professional to learn more about the steps they can take to reduce their risk of melanoma.

Melanoma treatment options

The best melanoma treatment depends on the individual and what stage of the disease they are experiencing. For people in the earliest stage of melanoma, a doctor can perform a simple surgery to remove a melanoma growth.

More advanced cases of melanoma may require targeted chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy. Only a medical professional can provide reliable advice about the most effective treatment for each individual case.

The most effective time to treat melanoma is when the disease is in the early stages. People who receive a diagnosis before melanoma has spread are 99% as likely as people without the condition to live for at least 5 years.

According to older research, the MIA gene controls the expression of MIA proteins. Cancerous melanoma cells can express these proteins.

Researchers have also found that MIA plays a role in the development and spread of melanoma throughout the body. This may be because the protein allows melanoma cells to detach from where they first developed and spread throughout the body.

People with advanced melanoma may have high levels of MIA. The levels of this protein are also elevated in some other types of cancer.

Further conclusive studies are necessary to investigate how MIA functions in the context of melanoma. In the future, tests for MIA levels in the body may be a reliable way to determine the presence of melanoma.

In people with melanoma, MIA binds to other proteins on or around the surface of healthy cells. This binding supports tumor cells as they invade healthy tissues in the body.

A 2015 study showed that MIA levels were higher in people with melanoma whose cancer had metastasized. The researchers found increased MIA levels in 5.6% of individuals with early stage melanoma and up to 89.5% of people with late stage melanoma.

Individuals with melanoma who received chemotherapy also had lower levels of MIA. Given these findings, the authors suggest that MIA levels may help detect melanoma onset or recurrence.

Another study noted that MIA decreases the growth of new immune cells in the body. This makes it harder for the immune system to defend the body against melanoma cells.

Certain tests can detect elevated MIA levels in people with melanoma. However, an MIA test alone cannot diagnose melanoma. In the future, it may be a helpful tool to aid diagnosis.

Studies have shown a correlation between elevated MIA levels and late stage melanoma. However, MIA levels alone are not enough to make a diagnosis.

The only way to diagnose melanoma definitively is through a biopsy, which involves taking a sample of bodily tissue and analyzing it in a laboratory. For people with advanced melanoma, imaging tests can help determine whether the cancer has spread.

Individuals with melanoma should consult a doctor to determine which diagnostic tests are right for them. In the future, MIA tests may be a helpful addition to the process of diagnosing and treating melanoma.

Melanoma can be a challenging form of skin cancer to treat. However, early detection and diagnosis can maximize the chance of making a full recovery.

The MIA gene controls the expression of the protein MIA. This protein may play a role in the development and spread of melanoma.

Elevated MIA levels are linked to late stage melanoma. In the future, MIA testing may assist the diagnosis and understanding of melanoma.

However, further research is necessary to determine whether MIA testing may help doctors diagnose or monitor melanoma.