TREATMENT INFORMATION

Doctors and researchers are continually improving treatment approaches for melanoma. Treatment depends on the location of the disease, the stage, and the patient's age and general health. It may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or some combination of these approaches. In addition, the individual treatments may vary depending on the patient's condition and/or severity of disease. Thus, surgery could be a simple procedure that is done in a doctor's office, or it may be very complicated and require hospitalization. Chemotherapy drugs may be given singly or in combination. Sometimes, your doctor may make changes to your treatment plan based on how the cancer is responding. Make sure to ask your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your treatment.

Surgery

Surgery (removal of the tumor) is the primary treatment option for melanoma. Patients with early stage melanoma, which has not spread to other parts of the body, are often cured after surgical treatment. Patients with later-stage disease or a higher-risk melanoma may require additional therapy. Patients with advanced melanoma may benefit from the surgical removal of cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.

Radiation Therapy

X-rays or other high-energy radiation are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. While radiation therapy will not often cure melanoma, it can be used to help control the disease if it has spread or recurred. Radiation therapy is also used to help reduce tumor size to improve quality of life.

Chemotherapy

For advanced cases of metastatic melanoma, where a tumor has spread to several areas of the body, medicines are sometimes used to destroy cancer cells. These medicines, given orally or through a needle in a vein, travel through the bloodstream to kill cancer cells throughout the body.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, or biological therapy, involves advanced cancer-fighting treatments in the form of vaccines and natural materials made by the body's own immune system. These therapies work by getting the body to fight cancer by boosting, directing, or restoring the body's natural defenses against cancer. Immunotherapy has proven helpful in melanoma patients at high risk of recurrence.

• Interferon : A natural protein made by the body's immune system, interferon stops the growth of cancer cells. Interferon has been shown to significantly prolong the life of patients at high risk of developing recurrent disease and has, in some cases, cured patients with advanced metastatic melanoma.
• IL-2 : A hormone-like substance that stimulates the growth of cancer-fighting white blood cells, IL-2 has proven effective in prolonging life for some melanoma patients with advanced disease. IL-2 is effective when used alone or in conjunction with standard chemotherapy regimens. The Huntsman Cancer Institute staff is specially trained in administering the high-dose IL-2 treatment and the combination of IL-2 and chemotherapy.

Promising New Treatments

When patients are unlikely to benefit from standard treatments, they are offered promising new treatments through clinical trials. Clinical trials are currently underway at most Cancer Institutes specifically for melanoma treatment. The melanoma experts are constantly searching for the latest and most promising clinical trials for patients with melanoma to ensure that they receive the best care available.