What is malignant melanoma?
What is malignant melanoma?
Malignant melanoma is the eighth most common cancer in the United States and causes 1 to 2 percent of all cancer deaths. 1, 2 Melanoma is a proliferation of transformed melanocytes or pigment-producing cells. These tumors occur primarily on the skin but may also arise in other tissues where pigment cells are found.
What are the side effects of treatment for melanoma?
Side effects of these treatments are similar to those of the flu, including chills, fatigue, fever, headache and muscle aches. Biological therapies used to treat melanoma include interferon and interleukin-2, ipilimumab (Yervoy), nivolumab (Opdivo), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda).
What is the definitive treatment for early stage melanoma?
Surgery (eg, wide local excision with SLNB and regional lymph node dissection if indicated) is the definitive treatment for early-stage melanoma. Medical management is reserved for adjuvant therapy in patients with advanced melanoma.
What is a sentinel node biopsy for melanoma?
If there’s a risk that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, your doctor may recommend a procedure known as a sentinel node biopsy. During a sentinel node biopsy, a dye is injected in the area where your melanoma was removed. The dye flows to the nearby lymph nodes.
Is melanoma the most aggressive skin cancer?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer and is the most aggressive or dangerous of all skin cancers. For the more common skin cancers called Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma, see Skin Cancer – Non-Melanoma.
What is the Carvajal Melanoma Research?
Dr. Carvajal’s melanoma research has included the study and treatment of uncommon clinical and molecular subsets of melanoma such as melanomas arising from the eye (uveal melanomas), from the mucosal surfaces of the body (mucosal melanomas), and from the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or under the fingernails (acral melanomas).
What is the prevalence of lentigo maligna melanoma?
Lentigo maligna melanomas ( Figure 4) arise in lentigo maligna lesions and represent approximately 5 percent of melanomas. These are clearly related to sun exposure and occur on sun-exposed areas of the skin in adults. Usually, a lapse of many years occurs before a lentigo maligna becomes an invasive melanoma.
