| "> | | | | occurs when melanocytes become cancerous, |
| Melanoma is a cancer of the pigment producing | | | | grow, and invade other tissues. |
| cells in the skin, known as melanocytes. Cancer is | | | | Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes |
| a condition in which one type of cell grows | | | | which are found predominantly in skin but also in |
| without limit in a disorganized fashion, disrupting | | | | the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). It is |
| and replacing normal tissues and their functions, | | | | one of the rarer types of skin cancer but causes |
| much like weeds overgrowing a garden. Normal | | | | the majority of skin cancer related deaths. |
| melanocytes reside in the outer layer of the skin | | | | Malignant melanoma is a potentially serious type of |
| and produce a brown pigment called melanin, | | | | skin cancer. It is due to uncontrolled growth of |
| which is responsible for skin color. Melanoma | | | | pigment cells, called melanocytes. |