Treatment Choices by Stage
The following are brief descriptions of the
treatments most often used for each stage.
(Other treatments may sometimes be appropriate.)
Stage 0
People
with Stage 0 melanoma may have minor surgery to remove the tumor and some of
the surrounding tissue.
Stage I
People
with Stage I melanoma may have surgery to remove the tumor. The surgeon may also remove as much as 2
centimeters (3/4 inch) of tissue around the tumor. To cover the wound, the patient may have skin grafting.
Stage II or Stage III
People
with Stage II or Stage III melanoma may have surgery to remove the tumor. The surgeon may also remove as much as 3
centimeters (1 1/4 inches) of nearby tissue.
Skin grafting may be done to cover the wound. Sometimes the surgeon removes nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IV
People with Stage IV melanoma often
receive palliative care. The goal of
palliative care is to help the patient feel better—physically and
emotionally. This type of treatment is
intended to control pain and other symptoms and to relieve the side effects of
therapy (such as nausea), rather than to extend life.
The patient may have one of the following:
Surgery
to remove lymph nodes that contain cancer cells or to remove tumors that have
spread to other areas of the body
Radiation therapy, biological therapy, or
chemotherapy to relieve symptoms
People with advanced melanoma can find
helpful information in the National Cancer Institute booklet Pain Control: A Guide for People with Cancer and Their Families.
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