Melanoma Discovered in Jimmy Carter’s Brain

Four spots of melanoma have been discovered inside former United Sates president Jimmy Carter’s brain.

Recently, the 90-year-old underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his liver. After further treatment and investigation, doctors detected that melanoma had developed inside of his brain.

But how can this happen? How does a melanoma develop inside an organ?

Skin Cancer Specialist, Sun Safety Advocate and author of the No. 1 International Best Seller ‘The Number 1 Guide to Preventing Skin Cancer’ Karen Ong (BN, CN), states that some melanoma and other skin cancers can spontaneously arise in parts of your body not exposed to the sun.

“Predominately, (melanoma) is a burrower and can grow deep underneath the skin’s surface. Then it’s only a matter of time until it reaches the blood vessels or lymphatic drainage vessels where cells can break away and be swept away to another part of the body.” And in this case, it was into Carter’s brain.

Melanoma is dangerous because it has the ability to spread very quickly in its later stages. The pigment-producing cells in the basal layer of the skin, known as melanocytes, is where this type of cancer originates.

“I am often asked how long it takes for a melanoma to spread. I am afraid to say that nobody knows. If you ask me what the shortest time it takes to develop one, the answer is a month,” Ong said.

Good Morning America reports that Carter will continue to undergo radiation treatments three weeks apart from each other.