A malignant melanoma or the most dangerous form of skin cancer, a malignancy of the melanocyte, the cell that produces pigment in the skin.

Melanoma is most common in people with fair skin, but can occur in people with all skin colors. Most melanomas show up as a dark, mole-like spot that spreads and, unlike a mole, has an irregular border.

The tendency toward melanoma may be inherited, and the risk increases with overexposure to the sun and sunburn.