Melanoma is one of the most severe kinds of skin cancers. It develops in the skin cells that are responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that gives you skin color. Someone with melanoma can have a wide range of complications related to the local growth of cancer. Additionally, the treatment options used can also have an adverse impact on your health. If you want to know the complications of melanoma, read this article to learn more.

1. Secondary infections
Melanoma can damage the protective skin barrier that allows the bacteria to enter your body and cause skin infections. Sometimes the infections can be mild, and other times they can breach the skin’s surface to cause sepsis and staph infections. Treatments of skin cancer can also expose you to the risk of certain skin infections.

2. Disfigurement
Disfigurement or scarring may happen not only due to skin cancer but also surgeries performed to remove it. When the cancer is detected early, these complications are avoidable. However, the cancer cells present for a while can penetrate deep into the tissues, causing damage to muscles or nerves.

3. Lymphedema
Melanoma can damage lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels that can lead to fluid damage in the body. This condition is known as lymphedema. Lymph vessels collect liquid in tissues and transport them to veins. When the lymph nodes and vessels are damaged, it can lead to fluid build-up that can cause swelling and skin-tightening. It is common in people with skin cancer after the removal of lymph nodes as part of the surgery. However, sometimes it can also occur due to cancer.

4. Risk of recurrence
If your skin cancer was at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis, it is possible to relapse even after the treatment. While most non-melanoma skin cancers recur in the original site, melanomas may show up at a distant location in your body.

5. Metastases
While melanoma can spread to any part of the body, the most common site of occurrence is the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, or brain. When cancer spreads, it can weaken the bones that can lead to fractures. Weakness or numbness in the legs, shooting pain in the back, loss of control while urinating, etc., are all warning signs of metastases.

6. Anxiety and depression
Cancer patients often experience depression or anxiety as melanoma and its treatments can alter their appearance. In most cases, doctors recommend these patients to opt for plastic surgery to restore their appearance.

Before you learn about what are the complications of melanoma, you need to educate yourself about the warning signs and symptoms of skin cancer for early detection. You must visit your doctor regularly for routine medical check-ups to ensure everything is in order. All these complications are avoidable if you get timely treatment.