How to Treat Melanoma
Finding out that you have cancer of any kind is bad news. However, if your doctor diagnoses you with melanoma, there are many effective treatments and when found early, melanoma has a surgical cure rate of about 95 percent. Additional therapies and follow-up procedures can also fight against the return of the cancer.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Consult a doctor if you develop irregular skin lesions or notice moles that are changing shape, or if you have had melanoma in the past and fear it may have returned.
-
2
Give a sample of the irregular part of the skin for the lab to test, or submit to other tests recommended by your doctor.
-
-
3
Discuss treatment options with your doctor. Common treatments include, excision surgery, radiation therapy and lymph node dissection.
-
4
Undergo surgery if you and your doctor agree this is the right decision. Often, doctors preform excision surgery before moving on to other treatment options. Doctors can ascertain whether or not any cancer still remains in the area after the surgery.
-
5
Decide if radiation therapy, in which high-energy rays are directed at the parts of the body affected by melanoma, is appropriate for your condition. This kills malignant cancer cells in the body and is often recommended for patients whose melanoma returns.
-
6
Undergo Lymph Node Dissection if your doctor determines this is the appropriate treatment for you. This involves removing most or all of the lymph nodes in a region and examining them for cancer.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
An alternative to excision surgery may be Mohs Micrographic Surgery. During this procedure, any known tumors will be removed as well as an additional layer of tissue. This tissue will be studied while the patient is in surgery and the removal of layers of tissue will be repeated until cancer is no longer visible.
Chemotherapy treatment may also be recommended in addition to radiation therapy. Usually, for the treatment of melanoma, the type of chemotherapy used is given orally or by injections.
Immunotherapy is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment which uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer.
Side effects of chemotherapy include hair loss and nausea.
