Melanoma is a malignant tumor. It develops from pigment-forming cells called melanocytes and is able to produce melanin, protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation. As a rule, melanomas form on exposed areas of the body, although they can also occur on mucous membranes, the retina of the eyes, or in the anus. It should be noted that timely diagnosis and treatment of this disease increases the chances of recovery of patients.
Surgical treatment of melanoma
Surgical removal of these formations is usually the main method of therapy. The operation at the early stages of the development of the disease allows to achieve good results. Depending on the stage of development of the tumors and their size, the following methods of treating melanoma by surgery can be performed:
- simple removal involves excision of the tumor with a small amount of normal skin cells that are localized at the edges of the pathological formation;
- wide excision is performed when the diagnosis of melanoma is confirmed (in this case, the size of the deviation from the edges of the melanoma depends on its thickness).
Other operations
When localizingneoplasms on the arms or legs have been widely amputated in the past. Today, this technique is abandoned, since a wide excision also gives good results. If necessary, lymph nodes are removed with their further microscopic examination to confirm the presence of cancer cells. In the advanced stages of cancer, surgical removal of metastases may be performed.
Chemotherapy
Chemical treatment for melanoma involves taking drugs that kill cancer cells. As a rule, oral forms or means for intravenous administration are prescribed. It should be noted that chemotherapy drugs kill cells that are rapidly dividing, therefore, with such treatment, the bone marrow, mucous membranes of the mouth and intestines, and hair follicles can be damaged. Melanoma treatment is often carried out with such drugs: Dacarbazine, Cisplatin, Temozolomide, Paclimaxel.
Immunotherapy
Melanoma treatment must necessarily include activities aimed at strengthening immunity. It should be noted that immunotherapy in some cases can be used even in the advanced stages of the cancer process.
Cytokines may be prescribed for patients. These are proteins that have a general stimulating effect on the immune system. Most often, Interferon-alpha or Interleukin-2 is used in the form of intravenous or subcutaneous injections. Such treatment of melanomas can reduce the size of tumors even at the 3rd-4th stage of cancer.
Palliative care
In cases where it is impossible to remove a tumor or stop the cancer process, symptomatic treatment is carried out aimed at eliminating the pain syndrome. First, non-opioid analgesics are prescribed - Aspirin, Paracetamol, and, if necessary, morphine-based opioid analgesics. Palliative care may also include radiation therapy, which is unable to completely cure the cancer but helps to stop its rapid progression. In addition, radiation treatment can be given as an aid after surgical removal of the tumor.
In those sad cases when melanoma is diagnosed, treatment, cost and scope of possible surgical interventions are determined individually, taking into account the characteristics of the oncological process, its prevalence and degree of development.
