Malignant melanoma, or skin cancer, forms in the cells of the skin that create pigment in the hair, skin and eyes. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma strikes all age groups, but heredity plays a role in terms of the risk of developing it. This type of cancer causes over 8,000 fatalities each year and easily spreads to other areas of the body if not caught early. The end stages of malignant melanoma may strike swiftly and cause a variety of symptoms.
Metastasis
End stage malignant melanoma, or stage IV melanoma, is characterized by the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. This symptom, called metastasis, may cause cancer in lymph nodes, skin located on other parts of the body and organs like the liver, brain or lungs. At this stage of malignant melanoma, physicians may recommend full body chemotherapy treatment or immunotherapy, but only to improve the quality of life. Surgery to remove the cancer usually offers no benefit because the cancer usually involves both large and small areas, making it impossible to excise all tumors and cancerous cells.
Melanosis
Melanosis may occur as a late stage symptom of malignant melanoma, according to the Symptoms of Melanoma website. This condition grays the skin of the cancer patient. Skincareguide.com reports that melanosis develops in response to the presence of single cell cancers associated with melanoma that have metastasized in the skin. The occurrence of melanosis in patients with malignant melanoma may cause a change in urine color; when exposed to air the urine changes to dark brown and black.
Weight Loss
A symptom of late stage melanoma include unexplained weight loss, according to the Symptoms of Melanoma website. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library notes that a common symptom of any cancer is weight loss and fatigue, and these symptoms get worse as the cancer, including melanoma, progresses. By the time the disease enters the late stages, the patient may appear noticeably thin. Some cancer patients lose weight because their appetite decreases due to treatment, but in other cases, weight loss happens for no apparent reason.
