This lies on the dermis, the deep skin. Dark skinned people have more melanin than light skinned people. Clusters of melanocytes are called moles, which are not cancerous.
Skin melanoma is often a potentially curable cancer if it is detected and treated early.
It may be increasing because people are spending more time in the sun. Melanoma is a malignant growth of melanocytes which can invade and destroy nearby tissue. It can occur on any skin area but is often found on the trunk in men and lower legs or trunk in women. Melanoma is rare in blacks or others with dark skin but if it does occur, it is often found under the nails or on the palms or soles. The mean age of presentation is approximately 50.