A Historical Retrospective of Melanoma as Cutaneous Cancer in Oncology

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer which originates from melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment melanin. Melanoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of cancer, as it can rapidly spread to other organs if not detected and treated early. The history of melanoma can be traced back to antiquity, named after the Greek term “melas” which mean black. The history of treatment of melanoma reflects the advances in understanding the biology, pathology, and immunology of this disease, as well as the development of novel therapeutic strategies that target specific molecular pathways or immune responses. Important figures like John Hunter, Wallace Clark and Alexander Breslow are being presented, alongside their pioneering work. Herein, this narrative review is about the most significant medical landmarks in the history of melanoma over the past 3 centuries.