It is worth knowing:
  • Melanoma is not a verdict
  • Early diagnosis is a key to a complete recovery
  • If you suspect a melanoma, consult a specialist

Is skin cancer (melanoma) curable

Although the melanoma is rarely diagnosed, it is a very dangerous disease. It is the most malignant type of skin cancer. Melanoma grows rapidly and spreads its pathologic cells through the organism.

The main danger of melanoma is that it is diagnosed at the stage 3-4 when symptoms can be ignored.

Melanoma is not a verdict. If after the examination, a doctor does not have any doubts regarding diagnosis. And it is important to determine a stage of the disease, and then start treatment.

At the latest stages, removal of melanoma is not enough because malignant cells have already spread through an organism. In such cases, doctors prescribe necessary medications.

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Choice of treatment method

Such factors influence the choice of treatment method:

  • melanoma staging;
  • location of melanoma
  • presence of metastases in nearby and distinct organs;
  • a patient’s age;
  • general health condition.

Melanoma treatment methods are divided into the groups:

  • surgical
  • medicamental (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy)
  • radiotherapy.

Surgical removal of melanoma

The main method for melanoma treatment is surgery. At the initial stages, melanoma is removed surgically that suppose a total removal of affected tissue together with a part of healthy skin. This process is called excision. The neoplasm is removed using lancet within healthy tissues.

There are indexes which detect a volume of removal of unaffected tissues depending on the size of malignant neoplasm.

Ingrowth of melanoma

Resected tissues

Melanoma ‘in situ’

0.5 cm

Less than 1 mm

1 cm

From 2 to 4 mm

2 cm

Over 4 mm

minimally 2 cm

In case of early diagnosis, surgery may be the only procedure for the complete recovery. After removal of the mole, a patient needs a regular examination annually.

At the advanced stages, doctors can perform removal of lymph nodes.

Why is it better to remove a suspicious mole?

Some doctors suggest to freeze a neoplasm with liquid nitrogen or burn a mole with a laser. Such methods are low-traumatic and fast. However they destroy material for the further examination, so a doctor cannot detect a malignancy of the tumor. That is why medical protocols suggest removing a neoplasm with traditional method - using a lancet.

If melanoma is removed, but according to the examination results, there is a possibility of the process spread to the other areas, medication therapy is appointed. It includes immune- and targeted drugs which allow treating melanoma effectively even at the advanced stages.