Student Scholars Day

The Manifestation of Metastatic Melanoma as the Cause of Death in a 64-year-old Male

Henry Hall Atrium 69

Melanoma is a cancer of the skin that develops in the melanocytes, the cells that produce the protective pigment melanin that gives skin its color tone. The development of melanoma in the skin (cutaneous melanoma) is often the result of exposure to sunlight, and can spread to other parts of the body. This malignancy of melanoma spreads easily though the lymph system to other parts of the body, like the liver, lungs and brain. Melanoma is a common form of cancer and is responsible for 1.5% of cancer deaths in the United States (Palmer et al. 2011). Through the dissection of the body of a 64-year-old male, for whom melanoma was designated as the cause of death, we are able to present the manifestation of malignant melanoma for this instance.