n.
Dark-coloured malignant tumour of skin cells that produce the protective skin-darkening pigment melanin.
Melanomas are prone to metastasize (see cancer ) and are associated with the highest death rate of any skin cancer. Removal, together with a collar of surrounding healthy skin, cures melanoma if done early. A common cause of melanoma is skin damage from sunlight. It is very rare in persons with dark skin.