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 in open areas of the body, although they can also occur on the mucous membranes, retina or in the anus. It should be noted that timely diagnosis and treatment of this disease increases the chances of patients recovering.
Surgical melanoma treatment
The removal of these formations by surgery is, as a rule, the main method of therapy. The operation in the early stages of the development of the disease allows to achieve good results. Depending on the stage of development of tumors and their size, the following methods of treatment of melanoma by surgery can be performed:
- simple removal involves excision of the tumor with a small number of normal skin cells that are localized at the edges of the pathological formation;
- wide excision is performed to confirm the diagnosis of melanoma (in this case, the size of the deviation from the edges of the melanoma depends on its thickness).
Other operations
With localization of tumors on the arms or legs in the past, amputation was widely performed. To date, this technique is abandoned, since 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 can be performed.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy with melanin involves taking medications that kill cancer cells. As a rule, oral forms or agents for intravenous administration are prescribed. It should be noted that chemotherapy drugs kill cells that divide rapidly, so with this treatment, bone marrow, mucous membranes of the mouth and intestines, as well as hair follicles can be damaged. Treatment with melanoma is often carried out with such drugs: "Dacarbazine", "Cisplatin", "Temozolomide", "Paclimaxel".
Immunotherapy
Treatment with melanoma must necessarily include measures aimed at strengthening immunity. It should be noted that immunotherapy in some cases can be used even in the late stages of the cancer process.
Patients may be prescribed cytokines. These are proteins that reveal a general stimulating effect on the immune system. Most often used "Interferon-alpha" or "Interleukin-2" in the form of intravenous or subcutaneous injections. Such a treatment with melanomas can reduce the size of tumors even at the 3-4th stage of cancer.
Palliative therapy
In cases where it is impossible to remove the 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 cancer, but helps to suppress its rapid development. In addition, radiation treatment can be carried out as an adjunct after surgical removal of the tumor.
In those sad cases when melanoma is diagnosed, treatment, cost and volume of possible surgical interventions are determined individually, taking into account the characteristics of the oncological process, its prevalence and degree of development.