What are the treatments available?

There are different types of treatments available for patients with melanoma. Treatment for melanoma largely depends on the type and the stage of the disease, the size and place of the tumor as well as one’s general health and medical history. Most skin cancer can be cured if found and treated in early stage.

One of the standard treatments used is through surgery to remove the tumor. It is the primary treatment of all stages of melanoma.. The skin cancer and surrounding tissue will be removed through surgery. However, lymph nodes may be removed if the cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes.

Next treatment is the chemotherapy whereby drugs are used to stop the growth of cancer cells. The drugs can kill the cancerous cells or stop them from dividing. Drugs can be given in many ways such as put directly on the skin or swallowed and injected.

Beyond that, radiotherapy a treatment that uses high0energy x-rays to kill the cancer cells. It is not a common treatment for skin cancer. It can be used for skin cancer where surgery is difficult to perform. It can, however, cause many other side effects even though radiotherapy is painless.

Besides, biologic therapy is a treatment which uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. It is sometimes called biotherapy or immunotherapy. Drugs are given to helps boost the body’s natural defences against cancer. It can be used together with chemotherapy and surgery. This therapy will commonly cause a rash or swelling. One might feel tired during the treatment. Moreover, the drugs may cause headache, muscle aches, fever or even weakness.

There are also several new type treatments available which are currently under clinical trials. One such is that chemoimmunotherapy. It involves the use of drugs combined with biologic therapy so as to boost the immune system and thus kill cancer cells.

Targeted therapy, on the other hand, is a treatment that uses drugs to identify and attack specific cancer cells. The normal cells will not be harmed in this kind of treatment.

Last but not least, vaccine therapy is a kind of biologic therapy whereby it helps the immune system to recognize and attack specific types of cancer cell. It can also be a type of targeted therapy.