Every single day there are steps we need to protect ourselves and our health. As something as cheery as the sun can cause many health implications, such as sunburn, dehydration, sun stroke, and even skin cancer, or melanoma.
Skin cancer is a deadly disease that’s caused by damaging UV ray exposure In the case of melanoma, damage to DNA typically stems from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes affected cells, or melanocytes, to produce the pigment melanin and eventually skin tumors.
Treatment for skin cancer often differs on the basis of the stage of cancer, as follows:
- Melanoma stage 0
At this particular stage, the melanoma has not occupied the space under the uppermost layer of the skin, which is the epidermis. The skin that is affected by the melanoma and the skin around it is removed and sent to the lab to determine whether an extra surgery/removal would be required. Another option for treatment is the use of imiquimod cream or the use of radiation therapy. These are particularly considered if sensitive regions of the skin such as that of the face are involved. However, there is a division between doctors who agree and don’t with these methods.
- Melanoma at stage I
Similar to stage 0, this stage is treated with surgery and the thickness of the skin removed would depend upon where the melanoma is located and its thickness. A sentinel lymph node biopsy may be recommended, particularly if the skin cancer is at the stage IB which means that the skin cancer shows possibilities of extending to lymph nodes. If cancer cells are found in this process, removal of lymph nodes around the cancer would be recommended.
Additional treatments with interferon can also be added post biopsy.
- Melanoma at stage II
The treatment of this stage is similar to that of stage I. Wide excision (surgery) will be followed by sentinel lymph node biopsy, which might later lead to lymph node dissection if cancer cells are found in the sentinel node. Additional treatments may be suggested after the biopsy.
- Treatment of melanoma at stage III
By the time the skin cancer has reached this stage, it has already extended to the lymph nodes and hence surgery for the removal of this initial tumor is required followed by lymph node dissection. Post-surgery treatments with immunotherapy or targeted therapy can help to avoid further occurrence of skin cancer.
- Melanoma at stage IV: At this stage, it is difficult to cure the skin cancer as it has spread to other parts of the body as well. With the help of surgery and radiation therapy, skin tumors and metastases can be removed on the basis of the location and several other factors. Newer forms of treatments such as immunotherapy can provide to be useful too.
