Superficial spreading melanoma

Superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) is the most common type of melanoma in Caucasian, accounting for about 70% of all diagnosed melanoma cases [1]. This type of melanoma can strike at any age and occurs slightly more often in females than males. SSM has two growth phases: the radial growth phase and the vertical ones [2]. The radial phase involves expansion of the lesion through the epidermis (upper skin layer). In the early radial phase, the lesion is thin, and it can remain in this phase for months or years. This is the less life threatening of the two phases because once the melanoma enters into the vertical growth stage, the prognosis worsens