Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that originates within the melanin of the skin. As you're exposed to UV rays, melanocytes, the cells responsible for pigmentation, begin to produce melanin, which causes you to tan. As time goes by, this exposure may trigger the formation of an abnormal cell. This abnormal cell divides more quickly than other cells, forming the cancer known as melanoma. Though this form of cancer is much more rare, yet far more serious then other forms of cancer, there are a number of treatment options available.

Surgical Procedure

With melanoma, especially at the onset of the disease, a surgical procedure is used to remove the abnormal cells. This is most often performed excisionally, where a section of the skin that contains both cancerous and noncancerous tissue is surgically removed. Excising the cancerous cells as well as any surrounding tissue better ensures that the cancer is removed from the body.

Immunotherapy

If the melanoma has progressed into Stages II or III, other treatments are frequently employed in conjunction with surgery. One of the most common is immunotherapy. With this course of skin cancer treatment, interferon or interleukin are administered to not only repair the immune system, but also stimulate and increase the body's immune response to better combat any remaining cancerous cells.

Chemotherapy

As the melanoma advances into it later stages, doctors may turn to chemotherapy as a skin cancer treatment. Doctors administer these anticancer drugs by mouth, injection or intravenously. Used as an adjunct form of care, chemotherapy is normally dispensed after an excisional surgical procedure. And much like immunotherapy, any abnormal cells remaining in the body are targeted and killed by the toxic drugs.

Radiation Therapy

Often used in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy, radiation therapy is another common late-stage skin cancer treatment for melanoma. In this form of care, beams of radiation are focused on any cancerous tissue left after other procedures. These rays are either administered through external beam radiation or tomotherapy, a more intense and precise form of radiation.

Local Hyperthermia

While not as commonly used as other modes of skin cancer treatment, local hyperthermia, a form of heating cancerous cells, is another option some doctors use. With melanoma, the abnormal cells are heated to upwards of 106 degrees F to damage their structure and kill them.

References

• Cleveland Clinic: Melanoma
• Cancer Treatment Centers of America: Melanoma Treatment Options

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