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Malignant melanoma    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Melanoma - malignant

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to cure the cancer.

Surgical removal of the tumor, with a margin of normal skin also removed, is usually required. Surgical removal of nearby lymph nodes or a procedure called a "sentinel lymph node biopsy" may accompany removal of the tumor.

For patients with tumors with a depth greater than 4mm or with lymph nodes involved (these tumors have a relatively high risk of recurring elsewhere in the body), inteferon may be recommended following surgery. While the data have been somewhat conflicting, it appears that giving inteferon for one year improves the overall chance of cure by approximately 10%. However, inteferon has many side effects and is a very difficult therapy to tolerate. Patients with high risk melanomas should consider enrolling in clinical trials.

For patients with melanoma that has spread beyond the skin and lymph nodes to other organs (metastatic melanoma), treatment is more difficult. Metastatic melanoma is usually not cureable except in a small percentage of patients (occasionally in patients with isolated metastases, surgical removal of these metastases will result in cure). Treatment is usually directed and shrinking tumor and improving symptoms. Both chemotherapy and use of immunologic agents such as inteferon and interleukin may be used. These patients also should consider enrollment into clinical trials.

Prognosis

The depth (thickness) of the tumor is the single most important factor in determining prognosis (expected outcome).

The vast majority of malignant melanomas are cured if treated early. The risk of recurrence increases as the depth of the tumor increases and when lymph nodes are involved. When tumor has spread to other organs, the likelihood of cure is small and most patients die of their disease.

Complications

• spread to deep tissues with damage to structure or function
• metastasis of tumor to other locations within the body

Call Your Health Care Provider If:

Call your health care provider if symptoms indicate that malignant melanoma may be present; if any existing skin lesion changes in color, size, texture, or appearance; or if you develop pain, inflammation, bleeding or itching of an existing skin lesion.

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