A dermatologist says, “Nodular melanoma can spread very quickly; within a matter of days or weeks.”
“A nodular melanoma can stay in the same spot for months and even rarely years; or spread into lymphatics and blood vessels very quickly.
“The consensus it that nodular melanoma does spread very quickly.
“In contrast, superficial spreading melanoma or melanoma in situ can stay in the same spot for years without spreading.”
What is nodular melanoma?
It’s a very rare form of skin cancer that grows more vertically than laterally or horizontally.
As the name implies, the growth looks like a nodule.
It typically presents as a raised, dark and sometimes irregularly shaped lesion, though it can also be reddish.
The rapid, downward growth can increase the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.
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As mentioned, nodular melanoma is capable of rapid growth, meaning quickly growing in size — deeply penetrating downward into the skin’s deeper layers.
It can develop in regular skin or even within a melanoma of the superficial spreading type.
Nodular melanoma can occur in people with very dark skin, though this is exceedingly rare.
It’s not as associated with exposure to the sun as much as is the more common forms of this skin cancer, even though the most common locations are the normally exposed areas of the neck and head.
If you have a hard lump or nodular-shaped bump that’s new, and especially if it’s dark, black, itching, stinging or crusting, and if it seems to be growing or rapidly progressing, then get it checked out immediately. This includes a biopsy.
