Malignant melanoma is a cancer of cells in the skin called melanocytes.
It's the job of these cells to sense ultraviolet radiation from the sun and to make a pigment called melanin. That's why we tan, and that tan is supposed to be protective. As a result of that, melanoma is increasing in incidence faster than any cancer in the United States today. Every year there's an additional 4 percent to 5 percent increase in the number of patients with this disease. It's estimated that somewhere around 47,000 to 48,000 new cases will develop this year.