ALM

Acral Lentiginous Melanoma (ALM) is one of the few skincancers not attributed to sun exposure. It most often appears on the soles of the feet, the palms of the hand, or under fingernails. While it is one of the least common of the major skin cancers, the survival rate is lower. ALM occurs much more often on the foot than on the hand. According to one study, 78 percent of ALMs were found on the lower limb with only 22 percent on the upper limb. Two to three percent of all melanomas are acral lentiginous melanoma. Because of the low rate of ALM, there is not as much research on this type of cancer, however, a little more than one-third of all skin cancers diagnosed in people of color are ALM. ALM lesions can remain in situ, or remaining in the epidermis, for years before crossing into the dermis and spreading to other parts of the body. However, survival rates are closely related to the thickness of the tumor when diagnosed. Any new lesions or those that change in size or shape should be seen by a dermatologist. Acral lentiginous melanoma was not documented as a distinct melanoma until 1986, five years after Bob Marley died from ALM.