How a small "invisible" spot turns into deadly skin cancer

How a barely visible mark can turn into stage 4 deadly skin cancer over the course of a decade.

Head and neck surgeon Dr. Chris Chang, from Virginia, a consultant at Fauquier ENT, created the clip using generative artificial intelligence to warn people of the early stages of melanoma, or melanoma.

He said it would be difficult to create the same clip in real life because many people often do not notice their skin cancer forming until it is in advanced stages.

How a dark spot grows into a malignant melanoma over a period of 10 years.

The clip was released before the start of the summer season, when doctors recommend using sunscreen to reduce the risk of cancer that can result from sun damage.

Catching melanoma early can make a big difference to how treatable it is, so it's important to have new or changing moles checked by your GP as soon as you notice them.

Signs of cancer can appear on the skin years before the disease is diagnosed, and the most common warning sign is a discolored patch that may appear brown, pink, yellow, or white.

A flat or slightly raised spot, hard area, or scaly appearance of the skin may also indicate that it may have developed into cancer.

To check for skin cancer, doctors say you should use the ABCDE rule, which reflects the following symptoms:

- Asymmetry (A): When the left side of the mole appears dark and slightly prominent. While the right side appears lighter and flat.

- Zigzag edges (B): When the melanoma has uneven or jagged edges.

- Color (C): A spot that is not uniform in color or has more than one color can indicate cancer

- Diameter (D): A large skin lump may indicate cancer.

- Evolution (E): Moles should be closely monitored for any changes that occur over time, from the appearance of new moles to moles that grow in size or change color or shape.

The video shows a small patch of skin that gradually darkens, progressing from stage 0 to stage 4 melanoma in the form of a mole.

At first, the skin patch looks like a freckle and is barely visible on the skin. It is not until the sixth year that the sign progresses to stage 0 melanoma, when the skin patch takes on a light purplish-brown colour.

In stage 0, cancer cells are only in the upper layer of skin - the epidermis - and have not spread to the lower layer.

By the seventh year, the spot becomes slightly larger and darker, and develops into stage 1 melanoma.

At this stage, melanomas tend to be no more than 2 mm thick and may show signs of ulceration.

In the second stage of the disease, time-lapse video shows that the melanoma has darkened considerably. It has uneven borders and has two different colors.

Melanomas are usually thicker than the first stage, but they do not spread to other parts of the body as well.

By stage III, the cancer will have spread to the lymph vessels or lymph nodes.

The video showed that the mole becomes darker and thicker at this stage, with red borders.

By the ninth year, the melanoma progresses to the fourth stage, where its surface has developed to acquire an almost black color.

Stage IV melanoma means that it has spread to other organs, such as the lungs, liver, bones, or brain. This is called metastatic melanoma.