Terrifying time-lapse video reveals how a tiny dark blotch can morph into stage 4 skin cancer

An alarming time-lapse video has revealed how a barely visible mark can turn into stage four skin cancer.

Virginia-based head and neck surgeon Dr. Chris Chang created the clip using generative AI to warn people about the early stages of melanoma.

He said it would be difficult to make the same clip in real life, as many often don’t notice their skin cancer developing until the later stages.

The hypothetical video shows how the spot grows into a melanoma over ten years.

The clip was released ahead of the summer, with doctors warning people to wear sunscreen to reduce the risk of cancer – which can be caused by sun damage.

The above shows the skin at the beginning and end of the animation of the area slowly turning into melanoma

Approximately 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year, the most common form of cancer in the US.

The number of cases among women over 50 is increasing by about three percent per year, with this age group making up the majority of cases.

But among younger adults, diagnoses are actually declining – unlike other cancers – which is attributed to younger people wearing sunscreen more often as an anti-aging tool.

Sharing the video online last month, Dr. Chang, van de Fauquier ENT Clinicwrote: ‘Using generative AI, this time-lapse sequence shows how melanoma skin cancer evolves over ten years.

‘Starting with normal skin, a slow progression to stage four melanoma is demonstrated.’

The skin is shown above as stage one and stage two melanoma

Above you can see the melanoma in stages three and four, as shown in the animation

He added: ‘Clearly such a time-lapse cannot be realistically achieved as there is no way of knowing whether a particular area of ​​skin will become cancerous.

‘Someone with so much knowledge of the future should take pictures like this in the same place over the next ten years to see how it slowly turns into cancer.’

Years before the disease is diagnosed, the skin may show signs of developing cancer, with the most common warning sign being a discolored spot that may look brown, pink, yellow or white.

A flat or slightly raised spot, a hard area, or a flaky appearance on the skin can also indicate that it may develop into cancer.

To check yourself for melanoma, doctors say to use the abbreviation ABCDE, which stands for: Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter and Evolving.

This indicates that you should look for raised areas of skin or moles that have changed color and may not have a clear border.

Doctors have warned ahead of the summer that many people are putting on swimsuits, which could lead to possible skin changes being noticed.

Melanoma is normally treated with surgery to cut away parts of the affected skin.

But in more serious cases where the cancer has spread, patients may also be offered treatments, such as chemotherapy, to kill the cancer cells in the body.

When the cancer is caught at an early stage, more than 99 percent of patients survive.

But if the diagnosis is made at a later stage, this drops to 75 to 80 percent of patients living longer than five years after their diagnosis.