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Melanoma of the liver - MRI scan Skin cancer, malignant melanoma Skin cancer, raised multi-color melanoma Skin cancer, melanoma - flat, brown lesion Skin cancer, melanoma - raised, dark lesion Benign juvenile melanoma Skin cancer, melanoma on the fingernail Skin cancer, close-up of lentigo maligna melanoma Skin cancer, close-up of level III melanoma Skin cancer, close-up of level IV melanoma Skin cancer, melanoma superficial spreading Melanoma - neck Melanoma
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Melanoma
Alternative Names: Skin cancer - melanoma Treatment: The cancerous skin cells and a portion of the normal surrounding skin usually need to be surgically removed. A procedure called surgical lymph node biopsy may be necessary to see if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, which also may need to be removed. A skin graft may be necessary after the surgery if a large area of skin is affected. Text Continues Below Only the smallest and most shallow melanomas can be cured by surgery alone, so early diagnosis is very important. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy (use of medications that stimulate the immune system, such as interferon) may be recommended in addition to surgery. If the skin cancer is deeper than 4 mm or the lymph nodes have cancer, there is a high risk of the cancer spreading to other tissues and organs. Treatment with interferon after surgery may be useful for these patients. Studies have suggested that interferon improves the overall chance of cure by approximately 10%. Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>