Melanoma Cancer Treatment

Melanoma occurs when cancer cells form in the skin cells that color your skin--called melanocytes. The melanocytes are found in the epidermis, on all parts of the body. Melanoma tends to present in adults, but can also appear in children. When men get melanoma, they tend to get it in their trunk. In women, however,it usually affects their arms and legs.

Considerations

• If your physician catches melanoma in its early stages, there is a very high likelihood that surgery will cure you. This applies to people who have thin, localized melanomas.

Surgery

• The first step in treating melanoma is to remove it by cutting it out. Your doctor will perform these resections or excisions as an outpatient procedure or in her office. Scarring is small and will get less noticeable over time.

Expert Insight

• Doctors remove some healthy tissue along with the tumor. This is known as margins. The margins are very narrow, meaning very little surrounding tissue is cut out.

Examination

• If melanoma spreads into your lymph nodes, it can spread to other parts of the body. Your doctor may evaluate your lymph nodes by touch to determine whether the cells have spread. For melanoma in the arm, he examine your armpit. For cancerous cells on the leg, he'll examine the lymph nodes in your groin. If the melanoma is on your trunk, he will examine both your armpits and your groin area.

Removal

• If there is a lump or enlargement in a lymph node, your doctor will remove it surgically in what's called a node biopsy. A lab will test it for malignant cells. If they are present, you would usually have the other nodes in that area removed too.

Stimulation

• Expect to undergo treatment to stimulate your immune system. Your doctor also may recommend chemotherapy to kill the cancer.