How to Reduce Melanoma

Melanoma management involves removing skin cancer cells and reducing the chances of it returning. There is not a cure for recurrent melanoma, no matter what treatment method you use, but you can slow the growth of diseased cells and relieve the symptoms. Prevention is the best medicine for melanoma. If have melanoma or experienced it in the past, you may worry about future outbreaks. With a few changes to your lifestyle and using new products and therapies, you have a better chance of keeping melanoma from coming back.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sunscreen
• Sunblock
• Glycolic acid
• Hydrocortisone
• Kojic acid

1. Take an interferon regularly. An interferon is a protein that your body makes when you have an infection or diseased cells. Ask your doctor about taking a synthetic version of interferon (see Resources).

2. Avoid the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays at peak hours and use sunscreen when you are outdoors. You can get sunburn anytime of the day, but the most harmful time to spend outdoors is from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more.

3. Use bath and body products that contain glycolic acid. Dead skin cells contain pigment, and lay on the top layer of your skin. Glycolic cleanser not removes dead skin cells, but dissolves them as it weakens the binding materials that hold dead skin cells together.

4. Ask your doctor if a vaccine is an appropriate treatment for you. A melanoma vaccine boosts your immune system. It contains your own diseased cells, along with material capable of flagging those cells so your body responds by producing the antibodies it needs.

5. Refrain from sunbathing and do not use tanning beds. Most tanning beds produce safer ultraviolet rays, penetrating deeper in the skin where rarely skin cancer occurs, but they are not safe. Your skin produces melanin in order to absorb the harmful rays of the sun. When your body cannot make enough, the skin burns and melanoma may appear, especially for those who have a history of skin cancer.

6. Use skincare products with hydrocortisone or kojic acid. Both of these ingredients prevent and lighten dark spots, but hydrocortisone thins your skin tissue, making it more vulnerable to the harmful rays of the sun. Kojic acid lightens your skin and prevents dark spots from appearing, a safer alternative than hydrocortisone.

7. Consider treatment options that enhance other forms of therapies. For instance, gene therapy replaces diseased cells with healthy ones, and makes your body more responsive to other therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy (see Resources).

Tips & Warnings

• Visit a dermatologist and request removal of big or discolored moles. Most unusual-looking moles never become diseased, but the doctor can measure them and mark any changes in subsequent appointments. You can request mole removal anytime, but your insurance may not cover the procedure if your biopsy indicates that it is not melanoma. Sunblock absorbs up to 99 percent of the sun's rays. It is messy and stains clothes so most users only apply it to the most common areas most sensitive to the sun such as the nose, shoulders, and lips. Sunscreens only absorb specific wavelengths, so consider using both sunscreen and sunblock when you are outdoors.
• Always talk to your doctor before starting any treatment plan or applying any skincare product if you have melanoma. Do not use hydrocortisone around your eyes.

Resources

• Immune Therapy Via Vaccine
• Gene Therapy
• All Treatments for Melanoma

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