Four Treatments For Melanoma Cancer And The Side Effects You Can Expect
Posted on: 11 February 2019
Most doctors will catch melanoma cancer before it gets any deeper than your skin. That is excellent news, since it means that you will probably not die from it. However, depending on the depth of the melanoma and where the cancer is located, you may still need one (or more) of the four following treatments.
Laser Ablation
Dermatologists are now using laser ablation to remove cancer and pre-cancerous cells from the skin. The lasers sweep over the questionable areas, removing the growths thin layer by thin layer until the dermatologist is satisfied with the results and feels that nothing else of concern is left. This treatment is for people who have a mole or freckle that looks cancerous but lab tests show that the problem is only on the surface of the skin.
Excision
Excision is the removal of tissue from the body. Doctors will cut out the visible melanoma growths, along with an extra bit of flesh surrounding the growths to make sure they get all of the cancerous cells. It is the first line of defense against skin cancer and the most effective one. It is very rare for this type of cancer to return or begin spreading again after the flesh has been removed.
Mild to Moderate Radiation Therapy
If your doctor feels or knows that there might be some lingering melanoma cells near the site of the excised tissue, he/she might recommend radiation therapy. If you do go through with the radiation therapy, it will be after the surgical site(s) have healed. Then the tissue in that area will become reddened and dry, but your doctor will prescribe a medicated cream to treat the side effects of radiation therapy. If the melanoma went deeper and touched organ tissue, then the doctor will increase the radiation therapy level and length of treatment, but very few people have to go through moderate radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy may be prescribed if the melanoma cells and growths are very deep or very close to lymph nodes and your lymph fluid in that area tests positive for cancer cells. Your doctor may also remove the lymph nodes closest to the growths to reduce the likelihood of the spread of the cancer cells. Most people who need chemotherapy as a result of skin cancer have had cancer for a very long time and did not seek medical treatment from their doctors earlier when they should have.
Contact a clinic like Heibel Dermatology for more information about melanoma cancer treatments.
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