What is melanoma? Melanoma is a malignant skin cancer originating from the melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin color. There are 4 main types of melanoma: acral lentiginous, lentigo maligna, superficial spreading, and nodular. The most common type of melanoma is superficial spreading and the most aggressive is nodular.  What  causes an melanoma? …