Treatment

Treatment Options by Stage

Stage 0

Treatment of stage 0 melanoma is usually surgery to remove the tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it.

Stage I

Treatment of stage I melanoma may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it.
• A clinical trial of surgery to remove the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it, with or without lymph node mapping (the use of dyes and radioactive substances to identify lymph nodes that may contain tumor cells) and selective lymphadenectomy (a surgical procedure in which the lymph nodes are removed and examined to see whether they contain cancer).
• A clinical trial of new techniques to detect cancer cells in the lymph nodes.
• A clinical trial of lymphadenectomy with or without adjuvant therapy (treatment given after the primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure).

Stage II

Treatment of stage II melanoma may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it, followed by removal of nearby lymph nodes.
• Lymph node mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy, followed by surgery to remove the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it. If cancer is found in the sentinel lymph node (the first lymph node to which cancer cells are likely to spread from a primary tumor), a second surgical procedure can be performed to remove additional nearby lymph nodes.
• Surgery followed by high-dose biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of adjuvant chemotherapy and/or biologic therapy, or immunotherapy.
• A clinical trial of new techniques to detect cancer cells in the lymph nodes.

Stage III

Treatment of stage III melanoma may include the following:

• Surgery to remove the tumor and some of the normal tissue around it.
• Surgery to remove the tumor with skin grafting to cover the wound caused by surgery.
• Surgery followed by biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy and/or biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial comparing surgery alone to surgery with biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemoimmunotherapy or biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (a technique that may be used to deliver anticancer drugs directly to an arm or leg) using chemotherapy and biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy and radiation therapy.

Stage IV

Treatment of stage IV melanoma may include the following:

• Surgery or radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
• Chemotherapy and/or biologic therapy.
• A clinical trial of new chemotherapy and/or biologic therapy, or vaccine therapy.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Reference:

National Cancer Institute, USA.