Melanoma is a skin cancer. It is formed by pigment cells called melanocytes. These cells are responsible for the production of melanin. As already mentioned, the location of the tumor is the skin. In some cases, the mucous membrane (vagina, oral mucosa, anus), as well as the retina of the eye, can suffer. Let’s figure out what are the life predictions for a diagnosis of skin melanoma ?
Description of the disease
This is a rather dangerous disease for humans. Melanoma often gives metastases to other organs (they are found in the brain, kidneys, liver, lung). The pathway is hematogenous and lymphogenous.
The tumor can grow rapidly, because the response from the body is partially or completely absent. This fact is a feature of a disease such as skin melanoma. Life forecasts after surgery are of interest to many.
Types of Melanoma
There are three types of melanoma:
- A surface-widespread type of disease is considered to be one in which a rather small pigment spot is formed on the skin, only about 5 mm. Its color is dark brown or black. It is impossible to notice this spot by touch, since there is no elevation above the skin.
- The disease can be attributed to the nodular type, when in the formation the form resembles a node, polyp or fungus. He has a blue-red, sometimes black, color.
- Malignant lentigo is considered when the disease has a long period of development. A transformation occurs, and a pigment is formed, which has an irregular shape having scalloped outlines.
So, if a person has a birthmark, growth or simple mole, the outlines, the color of which began to change, you must immediately consult a doctor. It is important to understand that the sooner a disease is detected, the earlier the stage is in it, the better the prognosis of life with a diagnosis of “skin melanoma” and easier treatment.
Consider each stage of the disease separately.
First stage
Melanoma in the first stage is a developing tumor with a thickness of about 1 mm, and sores often form on the skin. Most often, in addition to these symptoms, the patient cannot detect anything. The appearance of these microscopic ulcerations suggests that the disease is aggravated and goes to another, more severe stage.
It is not necessary to treat melanoma with various gels, ointments, creams. Often this, if it gives any result, then not for long, after which the disease recurs with renewed vigor.
This type of tumor can be treated best at an early stage, but therapies are selected individually. This will completely depend on how the disease progresses.
Basically, the tumor is surgically excised, while healthy skin is captured, about 1-2 cm. For this procedure, it is not necessary to go to hospital. If there are contraindications for surgery, the specialist prescribes laser removal of melanoma.
But the disease can recur both during surgery and when the tumor is removed with a laser.
If there are no complications and the disease does not progress, medication may be prescribed. Therapy is carried out by "Interferon". So it is treated in the first stage of skin melanoma. Life forecasts are presented below.
Forecasts
The outlook is most often positive. 95% live 5 years after surgery, 89% live 10 years after surgery. If you ignore the disease and do not treat it in any way, the tumor will progress, which will lead to death.
Second stage
Melanoma in the second stage is a tumor on the skin, which is noticeably enlarged. Its thickness is about 2 mm. Skin ulcers are also quite common, but they may not be at all. The disease in the second stage is also very difficult to detect, since there are no other symptoms. On the condition of the lymph nodes, the second stage is not reflected. They are not enlarged and not painful.
How is the treatment?
In the same way as in the first stage, the skin is excised, but the seizure of a healthy area is greater. Perform a biopsy. In addition, drug therapy "Interferon" is indicated.
In some cases, melanoma in the second stage is removed using radio waves. This avoids complications after surgery. The tissue in this case is cut by a non-contact high-frequency wave, this provokes the evaporation of the desired area of the skin.
Cells that have evaporated in this way form steam with a very low temperature, which allows coagulation of adjacent vessels. This method is used in the third and fourth stages. So it is treated in the second stage of skin melanoma.
Life forecasts
Consider the life prognosis of melanoma of the second stage. This is 80% - 5 years of life, 70% - 10 years of life. But this is done in case the treatment was timely.
Third stage
The boundaries of melanoma in the third stage are violated, it captures adjacent tissues. Lymph nodes that are near the tumor suffer. This can be detected by biopsy.
Very dangerous skin melanoma. Life forecasts (stage 4; photo see below) will be considered later.
For what symptoms should you immediately contact the clinic:
- bleeding from a mole or pigmented area;
- mole begins to grow asymmetrically;
- the skin darkens without a tan;
- the diameter of the mole or birthmark has grown to 6 mm;
- moles have uneven edges.
The treatment in the case of the third stage will be the surgical removal of the tumor from the surface of the skin, and you will also have to remove the lymph nodes that are located next to the neoplasm.
At the same time, drug treatment with the use of "Interferon", "Altevira", "Ipilimumab" is carried out.
When the operation has already been performed, the treatment does not stop. The doctor should keep the patient under observation for some time. In this case, the patient is taken the necessary tests. This distinguishes third-stage therapy for a diagnosis of skin melanoma. Life forecasts (photo below) are no longer as optimistic as with the other two. 50% of all live 5 years after surgery, 18% - 10 years.
Fourth stage
This is the most dangerous stage of the disease. There is a rapid spread of cancer cells to neighboring parts of the body. Metastases are found in internal organs.
Symptoms may vary, since they are directly dependent on which organ is damaged:
- the occurrence of persistent cough;
- seals are felt under the skin;
- headache with varying intensity;
- a person loses weight;
- the occurrence of seizures.
How is melanoma treated in stage four? Unfortunately, the prognosis of life is unfavorable. The ability to recover depends on the process of metastasis. A disease of this stage is treated surgically, by immune therapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Virotherapy is a new way to cure melanoma. This is the drug Rigvir, which contains a large number of oncolic and oncotropic viruses.
When ingested, they begin to fight malignant tumor cells. In addition, the immune system is stimulated, the body is thus protected from destruction in a disease such as skin melanoma.
Life Predictions - Stage 4
The prognosis of life and the effectiveness of treatment for melanoma in the fourth stage is only 10%.
But the most dangerous melanoma is a retinal tumor. The eyeball is destroyed, but also the body as a whole.
The development of complications after melanoma
The specialist should explain how to carry out rehabilitation after surgical removal of the tumor. The wound surface must be carefully taken care of.
If the patient has noticed the following symptoms, then it is necessary to immediately appear to the attending physician and undergo an examination again:
- chills and fever;
- there was swelling near the incision, blood and other types of discharge protrude from it, there is redness;
- this place of removal of the tumor hurts so that the pain medication does not help;
- a new education has arisen in the old place.
Perhaps a recurrence of the disease will be detected.
Reviews
With a disease of melanoma of the skin, life forecasts (reviews confirm this) completely depend on the degree of its development and the timeliness of treatment.
Patients say that it will not be possible to cure melanoma with folk methods. This can only help remove the symptoms, but it does not rid the tumor. The disease will progress, pass into the most difficult late stages. Do not waste precious time and risk your own life.
We examined skin melanoma, life forecasts in Russia are also described.