Stages of Treatment for Malignant Melanoma

Melanoma is a highly dangerous form of skin cancer triggered by uncontrolled growth of melanocytes, the cells responsible for pigment production. Treatment for the disease varies with its stage of development.

The Facts

• Doctors and researchers grade cancer according to its severity. Early-stage cancers are typically limited to a primary area or organ, while later stage cancers may spread to other parts of the body.

Early-Stage Treatment

• According to the Mayo Clinic, the best way to treat early-stage melanoma is to have it surgically removed. In some cases, the entire cancer may be eliminated during biopsy, the procedure used to initially confirm the presence of melanoma.

Later-Stage Treatment

• Later-stage melanomas may be treated with methods including surgery, chemotherapy (drug treatment) and radiation therapy. These cases may also be treated with immunotherapy (biological therapy), which uses natural or man-made substances to boost the body's cancer-fighting abilities.

Additional Treatments

• Additional treatments available through clinical trials include chemoimmunotherapy, gene therapy and vaccine treatments. These may be used at various stages of the disease.

Outlook

• Success in treating melanoma varies according to factors that include the stage of the disease, its location, the general health of the patient and the presence of bleeding or ulcers at the main site of the cancer.